Negligence of Goa BJP Government & Power Minister Sudin Dhavlikar Claims Another Life – A Tragic Death of Electricity Department Staff Due to Criminal Apathy- Amarnath Panjikar.

Panjim:*We are deeply anguished and outraged at the tragic and avoidable death of Chandru Gaonkar, an employee of the Goa Electricity Department and a resident of Morle, Sattari, who lost his life due to electrocution while performing maintenance duty on an electrical pole at Post Wada Honda, Sattari.Despite repeated warnings and appeals by workers and unions regarding the unsafe working conditions, the BJP-led Goa Government and particularly Power Minister Sudin Dhavlikar have shown complete negligence, irresponsibility, and disregard for the safety and dignity of electricity department employees.Chandru Gaonkar died while performing his duty – a death caused not just by electricity, but by gross governmental failure. It is shameful that in 2025, line workers are still forced to climb poles without adequate safety gear, without proper shutdown protocols, and without modern safety measures.Alongside him, another staffer Sarvesh Gaonkar also suffered electric shock and fell down, narrowly escaping death. This incident highlights the absence of standard operating procedures and safety enforcement by the department and the minister responsible.We demand: 1. Immediate judicial inquiry into the incident and accountability fixed on those responsible. 2. Compensation of ₹50 lakh to the family of Chandru Gaonkar. 3. A government job to the next of kin. 4. Full medical care and support to the injured employee, Sarvesh Gaonkar. 5. Implementation of standard safety protocols and mandatory shutdowns during field maintenance work. 6. Resignation of Power Minister Sudin Dhavlikar for his continued failure in safeguarding department workers.The loss of Chandru Gaonkar is not an isolated case. Multiple such incidents have occurred in Goa in recent years due to the same neglect. Line staff work in dangerous conditions with no hazard allowances, no modern tools, and no safety net. The government’s silence on their plight is deafening.We stand in solidarity with the family of the deceased and all electricity workers of Goa. This death must not go in vain. The system must change said GPCC Media Chairman Amarnath Panjikar.