Kendrapada: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a showcause notice to Odisha government over Rs 10 lakh compensation recommended to the kins of the two workers who died due to asphyxiation while cleaning the sewage tanks in Cuttack in 2021.
The NHRC asked the government through the Chief Secretary to specify whether any compensation has been paid to the injured person for the negligence on the part of the government employees and the nature of the injury sustained by the workers.
The commission Tuesday directed the state Chief secretary to reply to the showcause notice within four weeks.
The direction of NHRC came following a petition filed by an activist called Akhand. Akhand stated that two workers engaged in cleaning the sewage tanks in Cuttack died of asphyxiation April 15, 2021 while another was admitted to hospital due to negligence on the part of Cuttack Municipal Corporation.
The two deceased sanitation workers were identified as P Shankar and Bishnu Naik.
Another worker called D Shiva was under treatment in the process of handling broad main hole cleaning of the underground sewer network without any prescribed protection gears in CDA sector-10 area April 13, 2021.
The commission considered a report submitted by the government in this regard and concluded that two government officials are responsible for this unfortunate incident, Akhand’s petition stated.
This indicated that the incident took place due to the sheer negligence on the part of the government employees for which the state is vicariously liable as the human rights of the two deceased persons and one person undergoing treatment have been violated, the petitioner stated.
UNI
