23 linemen/meter readers of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) died in electrical accidents while performing their duties due to non-adherence of safety procedures. Chief Executive GEPCO Muhammad Zahid Saleem held a condolence meeting with the bereaved families on Thursday and as per government policy handed over employment letters to one child each of the deceased employee along with other benefits listed in the assistance package. He advised the field staff not to work without safety equipment and refuse to take risk of their life.
General Secretary All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers Khurshid Ahmad, Chairman regional CBA Waliur Rehman, General Manager operations Haroonur Rashid, Chief Engineers, Director General, HR and Administration, Anwar Saeed, Junaid Akhtar, Gazanffer Abbas Rizvi, Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Zuliqar and workers representatives were also present on the occasion. Khurshid Ahmad and other union leaders thanked the GEPCO management for providing jobs to the children of the bereaved families.
CEO Muhammad Zahid Saleem along with veteran labour leader Khurshid Ahmad and senior members of GEPCO management also went to Wahnsdo town and offered condolence to the bereaved family of meter reader Abbas Ali who had died during performing his duty in electrical accident. The CEO handed over a cheque of Rs 2.5 million as compensation and another cheque of one year's salary of the deceased. Experts said more than 200 workers of the electricity department sacrifice their lives every year while performing duties on lines and grids in Pakistan.