Family members of deceased employees of the Energy Department on Monday threatened to commit self-immolation if the State Government fails to rehabilitate them at the earliest. Under the banner of the Rehabilitation Committee for Energy Department Distressed Families of Deceased Employees Odisha, the family members have been staging a dharna in front of the State Assembly since January 28 demanding rehabilitation of at least one family member of the deceased employees under the rehabilitation scheme of the Government.
“The family members are living in miserable conditions after death of the employees. If the Government doesn’t rehabilitate a minimum of one family member of the deceased, how can they exist,” asked committee general secretary Prashant Kumar Rout. Rout said they have been organising dharnas, agitations, rallies and demonstrations during last five years for fulfilment of their demands, but the energy department doesn’t pay heed to their plea. “If the Government doesn’t solve the problem by February 9, they will commit self-immolation en masse,” said Rout.