Dilip Kumar

Dhenkanal: A contractual employee with office of the District Town Planning here was found hanging from the iron railing of the window at a government quarters in the town on Friday.

The deceased identified as Suryakant Swain of Pathakhamba village under Parjang police limits in the district was engaged in the job on a contractual basis in 2006-07. His contract tenure completed last February and was about to be renewed in March-April. But, it didn't happen on account of a country-wide lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, which led to his severe mental distress, source said.

His wife alleged that he was under severe mental duress due to lay off from the job. "Unable to bear the stress, he might have taken the extreme step. Otherwise, we don't have any family dispute or any other problem in the family.

"I apprehended trouble after I found his mobile phone switched off. I immediately sent my relatives to the quarters where they found his body hanging,” she said.

Saroj Kumar Sethy, deputy director, Planning and Statistics said “Swain was working in the office since 2006 on contractual basis and was getting Rs 2500 per month initially. Later, government hiked his remuneration to Rs 8000. His contract was about to be renewed last April.”

Sethy however refused to comment on the allegation levelled by the deceased’s wife but rather said that the quarters where Swain was staying was not allotted to him since he was a contractual employee.

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