Goa, July 25 -- Families of electricity department linemen in Goa are increasingly urging their loved ones to leave their jobs due to mounting fears for their safety. Citing 59 injuries and 9 deaths in recent times, Poriem MLA Deviya Rane raised the issue in the Assembly during a Calling Attention Motion, demanding strict safety protocols for field workers.

Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, however, clarified that these fatalities were not due to departmental negligence but rather inverter feedback from private installations.

The concern reflects a larger crisis. In the past five years, Goa has reported 71 electrocution deaths-including five linemen in 2023 alone. Allegations of linemen working without protective gear have intensified sc...