CUTTACK: Even as the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has constituted a probe panel to inquire into the death of the worker during drain construction at Bidanasi area, locals have raised questions on the transparency of the investigation given the fact that the work was being carried out by the civic body.
The deceased worker is 32-year-old S Sankar of Patapola area. Sankar, who was engaged in the drain construction work, was killed after a portion of a boundary wall caved in on him on Sunday. Another worker Y Ijiya Rao (58) was also grievously injured in the incident.
Sources said CMC mayor Subash Singh and commissioner Anam Charan Patra have constituted a three-member probe panel comprising additional commissioner Kalpataru Behera, executive engineer Bharat Sethi and deputy executive engineer Antaryami Patra to inquire into and submit a report within a month on the incident so as to initiate action against those found responsible.
However, locals alleged the probe to be a cover-up exercise to save the lapses by officials. “The drain was being constructed by CMC and a contractor had been assigned the work. How can we expect that the probe would be conducted with due transparency? Also, why has the panel been given one-month time to submit a report?” questioned a retired administrative officer on condition of anonymity.
Sources said, locals of Bidanasi had been assured at the time of elections that a drain under MUKTA Yojana would be constructed to solve the drainage issues of the area. However, work for the 75-metre-long drain had apparently been undertaken without any official document. Neither was any tender floated not a work order issued by the CMC for construction of the drain. The contractor concerned was reportedly verbally assigned the work, they added.
Additional commissioner Kalpataru Behera who is heading the three-member probe panel, however, said he would be able to comment only after going through the case record. “I have inspected the mishap site but I am yet to go through the case record,” he said.
Meanwhile, family members of the deceased worker S Sankar on Monday staged a roadblock at Barapathar road demanding adequate compensation. The blockade was lifted after police assured the agitators that the deceased’s kin would be paid compensation of `4 lakh under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.