Murshidabad, 7 June (H.S.): A 34-year-old contract labourer died in an accident that took place on Friday night during maintenance work at a unit of Farakka NTPC Thermal Power Plant in Murshidabad district. According to police sources, the deceased has been identified as Sushant Mandal, a resident of Nishindra area under Farakka police station. According to sources, on Friday night, the labourer of the 'Operation and Maintenance' department of NTPC Thermal Power Plant was working in the 'duct' near the coal powder making machine of unit number two along with some other people. At the same time, someone suddenly started the machine. As a result, the 'hot water gate' fell on his stomach and the labourer was seriously injured.

The seriously injured labourer was taken to the nearby Beniagram Hospital, where the doctors on duty declared him dead. On Saturday, the police sent the body to Jangipur Hospital for post-mortem. Somen Pandey, president of INTTUC Contract Labour Union of Farakka NTPC Thermal Power Plant, said, A labourer named Sushant Mandal was working in the thermal power plant under a private company for the last several years. On Friday night, he along with some other labourers entered the duct near the coal pulverization machine and was doing repair work.

He said, Before starting all these works, written permission has to be taken from another unit of NTPC officials and then the unit shuts down and work is done. When the work of the employees of the 'Operation and Maintenance' department was about to finish, the unit was suddenly restarted without any permission. As a result, many machines started working simultaneously and the 'hot water gate' fell on Sushant's body. The leader of the workers' union claimed, This accident happened due to the negligence of some NTPC officials. Apart from the two minor daughters of the worker, there are wife and other members at home. We have demanded a job for the deceased's wife from the NTPC officials. Also, the family will get financial compensation as per government rules. However, Farakka NTPC officials have not yet issued any statement about how and due to whose fault the accident happened. Their public relations department has said that a statement will be issued later on this matter.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey