ROURKELA: A 29-year contractual worker died under mysterious circumstances near the coke oven battery-3 of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) here on Friday morning.
The deceased was identified as Gopi Hembram (29) of Lal Tanki area in Rourkela. He was working for RSP’s contract firm Utkal Projects Pvt Ltd.
Vice-president of INTUC-affiliated Rourkela Shramik Sangh (RSS) Nihar Das said at around 8.30 am, Gopi was working at the coke oven battery-3 when he suddenly collapsed. The worker was taken to the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Following the incident, various trade unions including INTUC, CITU and others demanded compensation and job assistance for the bereaved family. They said the contract worker has left behind his widow and two-year-old son who have none to look after them.
Sources said Gopi’s relatives and other contractual workers also staged protest at IGH, refusing to take possession of his body till fulfilment of the demands. The protest was continuing till the report was filed.