Patana: The financial assistance announced by the state government for the bereaved family of reporter Arindam Das, who died during ‘Operation Gajaraj’ at Mundali barrage in Cuttack district September 24, was handed over to the reporter’s widow Sunday.
“Keonjhar Sub-Collector Rama Chandra Kisku Sunday met the family of deceased reporter Das at his ancestral village Raikala under Rajnagar panchayat in Keonjhar district, shared his grief with the family members and handed over a cheque of Rs 4,00,000 to Sameeksha – the deceased’s wife,” informed deputy director of information and public relations department Sanjeev Barik.
Notably, an elephant got separated from its herd and got trapped in the current of Mahanadi river while crossing it early September 24.
To rescue the animal, an operation was launched and the help of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) was sought. Reporter Das along with his cameraman Prabhat Sinha accompanied an ODRAF team in a boat to cover the operation.
Unfortunately, the operation ended with a tragic incident. The boat capsized owing to strong current. In the mishap, Das and an ODRAF jawan identified as Sitaram Murmu died.
At present, cameraman Sinha and two ODRAF jawans are undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
PNN