Five years on: PDD employe awaits compensation

Ganderbal: For Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, who was working as a daily wager in Power Development Department (PDD), the past five years have been quite a difficult phase. Bhat who lost his both arms while repairing a faulty power line has been running from pillar to post to secure compensation from the department, but to no avail.
Five years ago, Bhat lost his both arms while he was carrying out repair works on High tension (HT) 33 KV power line here in central Kashmir’s district Ganderbal.
Right after the accident, Bhat started approaching the department for compensation, which according to him would have enabled him to meet the day to day expanses as well as medical expanses needed to get himself treated.
“Till date my demand has not been accepted and I am treated with contempt by the officials of the department. Even my wages are not released on time due to which my family is facing immense hardships,” Bhat told ‘Kashmir Horizon’.
Talking to Kashmir Horizon, Mushtaq said, “It was December 2012 I was asked by the officials to repair the High tension (HT) 33 KV power wire near kurhama. Before starting work on the said power line , I repeatedly asked the officials to cut the power supply of the area. The officials present there assured me that power supply has been turned off,” he said.
“However, as I touched the line a high-voltage current ran through my body and I fell unconscious and the next thing I remember was that I found myself bed-ridden at a hospital.”
“I was shocked when I saw my both arms has been amputated from my shoulder. Since then, I have been living a harsh life,” Mushtaq said.
He said, that he has not received any penny from the department as compensation and due to their negligence his life has became unbearable and he finds it difficult to make his two ends meet.
“It was a huge task for me to meet the expenses of the treatment and to support my family constating of wife and two childrens. I was the lone bread earner,” he said.
“From last five months my wages are withheld and the wages I get are not released on the time which creates lot of problems for me and my family,” he added.
Meanwhile, the department claims that his case for seeking a compensation has been processed and the file has been send for disposal by a senior officer.
While talking to Kashmir Horizon,AEE PDD Ganderbal, Fayaz Ahmad said”We have already send his case to higher authority and we are hopefull that he will get compensation very soon,”.
When connected an official from the, PDD EM&RE wing said that his case will be cleared very soon.
“His case is under progress and it will be resolved very soon, “he said.