Bhubaneswar: The police Friday arrested Pratap Panda, owner of construction firm Panda Infra Projects that had undertaken the Bomikhal flyover construction work here. The iron railing of the over-bridge collapsed Thursday night, resulting in a labourer’s death while another worker has been hospitalised in a critical condition.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a high-level inquiry into the mishap. He has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. Expressing his grief, the CM said the state would bear the full cost of medical treatment for the worker now in hospital.
Police commissioner YB Khurania said, “Those who are found guilty will be arrested.” Notably, while the workers were putting in place a railing, a huge iron railing collapsed on them.
Locals and political activists had staged a demonstration demanding action against the contractor, also as, in September 2017, a portion of the same over-bridge caved in, killing one man and injuring 11 persons.
