Odisha: Polling officer dies hours before Dhamnagar bypoll
Odisha: Polling officer dies hours before Dhamnagar bypoll
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Bhadrak: The Chief Electoral Office (CEO) of Odisha, Sunil Lohani, stated on Thursday that the family of polling officer Natabar Munda, who passed just a day before the start of the Dhamnagar bypoll, would receive Rs 15 lakh in compensation.
On Wednesday night, Munda, a poll worker for booth 139, passed away. In the Bhadrak district, he was employed as an assistant teacher at Olanga Nodal UP School.
The 40-year-old polling official apparently became ill late on Wednesday, and his family members then transported him to the Bhadrak district hospital for treatment. As his condition deteriorated, he was moved to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack at the request of the Bhadrak district collector. But this morning, he passed away while receiving care at the hospital.
The constituency for the byelection has deployed a total of 1,008 poll workers, and voting started at 7 am on Thursday amidst high security.
According to additional sources, Munda's appeal to his department to excuse him from election duty due to health reasons was denied. He had been working since November 1 as the first polling officer at a by-election voting place.
Five candidates—Abanti Das (BJD), Suryabanshi Suraj (BJP), Baba Harekrushna Sethi (Congress), Rajendra Kumar Das (Independent), and Pabitra Mohan Das—will be decided by 2,38,417 voters, including 1,23 lakh men and 1,15 lakh women (Independent).
