Metro staff council members offer to quit after trainee’s death

NEW DELHI: Days after a trainee employee of Delhi Metro’s electrical department died of electrocution, eight members of the staff council of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Saturday tendered their resignation.

The development comes after 23-year-old Anish Kumar, succumbed to burn injuries that he had sustained after being electrocuted at work.

A letter submitted by the council members reads, “We are deeply hurt by the accident and death of Anish. We have communicated all our concerns… one of the main reason is that the council is totally ineffective.”

On the intervening night of October 28 and 29, Kumar – who hailed from Rajasthan’s Bhukana village – was elec- trocuted during maintenance work at the Faridabad receiving sub-station. He sustained 40 per cent burns on his face and chest, and died on November 2 at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

After a complaint was filed by his family, police registered an FIR on November 3.

One of the members of the DMRC staff council who offered his resignation claimed Anish was receiving on-job training and he should not have been made to work.

“DMRC often makes trainees work to increase its own efficiency and production. We have sent our resignation to the Managing Director of DMRC, Dr Mangu Singh, but we have not received a response yet.

“There have been protests since 2015… there is a loss of connection between the higher management and field workers,” he said.