ROURKELA/KEONJHAR : With the summer peaking early this year, two candidates died during physical examination conducted by the Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) for different state government jobs in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts in the last 24 hours.
The deceased were identified as Pravin Panda and Byomkesh Naik. Both collapsed and subsequently died after the 25-km walk. The test was part of the recruitment for the posts of forest guard, forester and livestock inspector.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the two aspirants.
Pravin who was taking the test near Sundargarh on Tuesday collapsed near Kirei after covering nearly five kilometre at around 9.30 am. He was immediately rushed to Sundargarh district headquarters hospital only to be declared dead. Sundargarh SDPO Nirmal Mohapatra said the youth was immediately taken in an ambulance to the hospital but failed to survive.
Pravin’s father Khadal Panda was crestfallen. He had accompanied his son to Sundargarh on Monday for the physical test with the hope of landing a government job.
The grief-stricken father said he had never imagined he would be taking back his young son’s dead body. Before the test, Pravin looked fit and happy, he said.
Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) of Rourkela circle P Ramaswamy said physical test for candidates of Deogarh, Keonjhar and Sundargarh was held at Sundargarh. Due to less number of candidates, test for Deogarh district was conducted on Monday, while for candidates of Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts, physical test was scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Keonjhar, Byomkesh was part of 150 aspirants who undertook the 25-km walk on Monday. After completing the walk, he fell ill and was immediately shifted to Keonjhar district headquarters hospital before being shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where the doctors declared him dead.
It is suspected he died due to heat stress as sweltering conditions have been prevailing for the last two days. Byomkesh belonged to Ostapanga village under Harichandanpur block of Keonjhar district.
On Tuesday, another candidate, Abhisek Mahakud of Turumunga police limits, fell ill during the physical examination. He was taken to Keonjhar hospital and put under treatment.