Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the labourer who was killed when a portion of an under-construction flyover caved in here yesterday night. The managing director of the firm executing the project has been arrested.
The chief minister also ordered a high-level inquiry into the flyover collapse at Bomikhal area in which another
labourer was critically injured, an official at the chief minister’s office said.
The medical expenses of the injured would be borne entirely by the state government, the official said. The injured is undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.
Managing Director of the construction firm Panda Infra Projects, Pratap Kishore Panda, was arrested in connection
with the incident, Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania told PTI. Yesterday’s incident occurred close to the site where a portion of an overbridge had collapsed in September last year, leaving a man dead and ten others injured.
The police commissioner, who visited the spot, said all those found guilty will be arrested. Around eight labourers were working at the site when the incident occurred yesterday.
While the deceased labourers was identified as Ajay Vumicha (38) of Sundergarh, the injured has been identified as Ananda Kumar, the police said. Khorda District Collector Nirmal Mishra, who visited the site after the tragedy, said a technical team would conduct a thorough probe to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident and preliminary inquiry has started.
The state government came under sharp attack with leaders of the opposition Congress and the BJP holding it
responsible for the tragedy. They slammed the government for allowing the same construction firm to do the work even after last year’s mishap.
A private company had been assigned to execute the flyover project by the Public Works Department (PWD).
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