Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The inquiry into the electrocution death of lineman Chandru Gaonkar during routine maintenance work on a transformer at Postwada, Honda has been completed and is currently under examination by Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes, Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar confirmed on Wednesday.
“The report will be sent to my office in the next two to three days,” Dhavalikar stated, though no clarity has yet been offered on when the findings will be made public or whether action will follow.
Gaonkar died on May 20 while working on a transformer. Another lineman involved in the same operation suffered serious injuries. The incident has reignited concerns about the safety of field staff in the electricity department, especially linemen, who often work under high-risk conditions.
This is the second electrocution fatality involving a lineman in less than a year. In a similar incident last year in Bicholim, lineman Manoj Zambaulikar was electrocuted while working on a transmission line, despite a scheduled power shutdown. An investigation later attributed his death to ‘back feed’ electricity, allegedly caused by an inverter at a nearby commercial premises, Fitness Factory.
Since 2018, at least ten linemen and line helpers have lost their lives in similar accidents across the state, with dozens more injured, highlighting what experts and unions describe as chronic lapses in safety enforcement and shutdown protocols.
The completion of the report on Gaonkar’s death is being closely watched, with demands growing for greater accountability and implementation of stringent safety measures to prevent further loss of life in the sector.
