Putting Their Lives On The Line For Rs 5k

Little Safety Backup For Private Linemen
It’s a job for men who have no other option. For starters, the pay is pathetic: Rs 5,000-odd a month, and one can be on call 24×7. Besides, who would want to climb a pole, often with no protection, and try fix electricity lines that can come alive mysteriously and leave them hanging midair, charred beyond recognition? Like it happened two days back in Noida’s Sector 10, where two linemen were electrocuted trying to shift high-tension wires.

And yet, some men do put their lives on the line, everyday. Most of them are from remote areas of UP and Bihar, who have come here in search of work.

Nathu Ram, district president of Vidyut Majdoor Panchyat, Uttar Pradesh, said, “There are 15 UPPCL linemen in Noida while several others work on contract. We have written many letters to UP’s chief ministers and raised the issue of safety with the UP electricity board chairman as well, but all in vain.“ Read more

Courtesy: The Times Group e-paper