THRESSIA Vs. K S E B

JUDGEMENT

(1.) A widow of a poor agricultural labourer sent a letter to Justice Balakrishnan. His Lordship Balakrishnan opined that the woeful facts revealed in the letter require it to be considered as an Original Petition under Art.226 of the Constitution. The letter with the opinion of Balakrishnan, J. was placed before Justice Sukumaran. Sukumaran, J. deemed it fit to be taken as an application under Art.226 of the Constitution. Notice was issued to the Kerala State Electricity Board. When the petition came up for hearing, I directed the Electricity Board to file its reply to the letter as an affidavit. The Board has filed a counter-affidavit in the case.

(2.) Now the facts : The petitioner submits that she is the widow of a poor agricultural labourer. Her husband was an agricultural labourer. She tells this court that her husband was electrocuted on 5-10-1979. This tragedy happened when her husband got himself contacted with a snapped live power line. She says that she has got only 2 cents of lands as her sole asset in this world. The petitioner and her children are living in a small hut in that 2 cents of land.

(3.) She unfolds the sordid story of her faithful and strenuous efforts which turned out barren and sterile at the Micawberish treadmill officialism of the Electricity Board. She comes before this court after a sustained but frustrated waiting for seven long years hopefully expecting that the Electricity Board will give her adequate monetary palliative for the uncompensatable loss she has suffered. The epitome of her anguish disappointment and dismay, she says in these words :