Three including two minors die in road mishap in Odisha; CM announces ex-gratia

Bhubaneswar, Aug 5 (IANS) In a tragic incident, three persons including two minors died in a road mishap in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Krishna Bhushal, his son Nikit, and Ganesh Sharma, the son of his neighbour Santosh Sharma, all residents of the Azad Basti area in Joda.Krishna used to work with a private company, while Nikit and Ganesh were Class I students at the TATA DAV School in Joda.Sources said Krishna was on his way to drop Nikit and Ganesh at the school when a speeding truck hit his motorcycle from behind. All three died on the spot.There was tension in the area following the accident as the locals blocked the busy road for several hours. The protesters demanded adequate compensation for the bereaved families and action against those responsible for the tragic mishap.The locals removed the blockade only after getting assurance from the district administration to meet their demands. The police have launched a hunt to nab the truck driver involved in the hit-and-run case. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed grief over the accident. Following the CM’s instructions, an ex-gratia of Rs 30,000 for each victim has been paid to the bereaved family members.CM Majhi also directed the authorities to take the necessary steps for the payment of another Rs 2 lakh as compensation to each of the bereaved families under the Solatium Scheme for hit-and-run cases.–IANSgyan/arm