Balangir: The family of a deceased migrant worker was forced to borrow Rs 50,000 to transport his body from Telangana to their native village in Balangir district after the farm owner apparently refused to help.
Rajkishor Majhi (40) from Aampali village in Saintala died of ailments while working at a layer egg farm in Telangana. Majhi had gone there for work in Nov with his wife and minor daughter.
Following his death, the farm owner allegedly refused to provide any financial assistance despite repeated requests from Majhi’s wife. The family needed Rs 56,000 for an ambulance to transport the body back home.
“We had to borrow money from various sources to bring my brother’s body back,” said Majhi’s younger brother. The widow has promised to pay the remaining Rs 6,000 to the ambulance operator within a week.
When contacted, district labour officer Sukanta Sethi said he has directed the assistant labour officer to investigate and submit a report within 24 hours.
Sethi noted that while the govt provides compensation for workplace accidents, there is no provision for assistance in case of natural death. “Appropriate action will be taken after reviewing the inquiry report,” he added.