Ludhiana, Jan. 3 -- In a serious lapse of safety protocols, a 44-year-old outsourced PSPCL worker, employed as a Complaint Handling Bike (CHB) staff, has sustained critical injuries after being electrocuted while working on an 11 kV high-tension line in Baddi Ladian under the Aggar Nagar division Unit 2 on Wednesday afternoon, officials said on Friday. Gurmeet Singh is currently undergoing treatment at ESIC Hospital, the officials said. According to PSPCL junior engineer Rajesh Kumar, Singh was changing a jumper on a transformer connected to the high-tension line when a sudden surge of electricity passed through. "We had shut down the feeder since midnight, but a local resident's generator backed the line. Singh came in contact with live electricity and fell, sustaining critical injuries. The source of the leakage is under investigation," Kumar said. Avtar Singh, West Circle head of the Powercom and Transco Contract Workers Union, alleged that the worker was not using the provided safety kit, which contributed to the severity of the injuries. "Supervisors failed to enforce basic safety measures, including gumboots, gloves andbelts. This lack of oversight is putting lives at serious risk," he said. "According to standard safety protocols, supervisors are required to ensure that all workers strictly follow safety norms, including wearing protective gear such as gum boots, gloves, and safety belts. However, in this case, no officials on site enforced these rules, despite recurring incidents highlighting the risks. This lack of oversight and enforcement is putting the lives of workers at serious risk," Avtar added. This incident marks the fifth electrocution involving PSPCL workers in Ludhiana over the past six months, highlighting recurring gaps in safety enforcement for outsourced staff. In August, 25-year-old Amanpreet Singh died while fixing a high-tension line at Mahavir Jain Colony on Noorewal Road under Sunder Nagar division. On July 12, 45-year-old Sanjay Shah was electrocuted while repairing a high-tension line in Neechi Mangli village, Sahnewal. On June 28, 30-year-old Harjit Singh suffered severe injuries while working in Aggar Nagar. Earlier, on June 11, 26-year-old Harmanpreet Singh was seriously injured while attending to a low-tension line complaint in Civil Lines after a private generator backed a line despite an official shutdown. PSPCL officials said they are investigating the cause of the recent surge and reviewing compliance with safety protocols across all divisions....