Chang Jiji accident: NHDCL to await court’s decision

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Tenzin Choden/ Thimphu The National Housing Development Corporation Limited (NHDCL) will await the directive of the court regarding the incident of a 58-year old woman who was seriously injured by a falling streetlight pole in April this year. On September 9, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed a lawsuit asking the NHDCL to pay more than Nu 4.0 million to the woman by way of medical expenses, potential earning lost and as compensation. The Chief Executive Officer of NHDCL, Thinley Dorji, said he cannot make a comment as the matter is under the purview of the court and that the NHDCL is yet to work on a rebuttal. However, he said that the incident was an accident. He questioned: “If your house is washed away by a flood, will you accept the charges?” He asked the general public to take caution in order to prevent such casualty and that the NHDCL has always been working on safety, not just after the accident. The OAG prosecutors say the collapse of the streetlight at the Changjiji housing colony in Thimphu is a ‘misdemeanor’ under the Penal Code of Bhutan (2008), an offence of public nuisance. The OAG is pressing charges on the ground that the NHDCL is responsible for maintaining and monitoring the safety of public infrastructure. Meanwhile, the 58-year-old woman who was treated at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) for critical head and leg injury is still on a wheelchair.