Digboi: Daulat Phukan, a 19-year-old youth from Pengaree, died at a private hospital in Dibrugarh on Wednesday.
He was undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in a road accident on September 14.
His brother, Ratul Phukan, confirmed the news from the hospital on Wednesday morning.
According to family members, Daulat had fallen from a scoty and hit an exposed portion of an under-construction culvert at Bapapung, along the Digboi–Mohong road via Pengaree–Bordumsa.
He was first taken to Digboi CHC, later referred to Tinsukia Medical College, and finally shifted to Dibrugarh Assam Medical College, where he underwent brain surgery on September 15.
He was subsequently moved to a private hospital, where he passed away this morning.
Ratul Phukan said the family is facing financial difficulties in releasing the body from the hospital. He also alleged that no representative of the construction company had visited or offered assistance during his brother’s treatment.
Local student organizations and youths of Pengaree Dwarmara are reportedly extending physical support to the family, according to AJYCP office bearers of Pengaree.
Reacting to the incident, Subash Tamang, president of the Gorkha Students Union, Pengaree Anchalik Committee, demanded strict action against the contractor.
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“The Guwahati-based contractor Matlab Uddin Ahmed must be held accountable and be immediately arrested for playing with the lives of innocent people here in Tinsukia district. Is the BJP government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma partnering the project on a commission basis? If not, why do repeated acts of negligence and road crime go unheeded and unnoticed? Has the Assam government licensed Mr. Ahmed to kill people in the name of road development?” he asked.
Jatin Baruah, president of the Pengaree unit of AJYCP, also questioned the state’s role. “Why does the system compel us to sit with the dead body on the highway and cry for justice? Is there any governance in the state?” he wondered.
Concerns have also been raised over the contractor’s failure to comply with earlier instructions from the government.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had reportedly cautioned the contractor during a review meeting in Dibrugarh to expedite the project with caution and in a time-bound manner. Despite the warning, locals allege that no action has been taken against him despite repeated act of negligence and public grievances so far, which has caused strong resentment against the government and the contractors alike.
This is the second fatal accident linked to the project in recent days. On September 12, Dibrujan Mahant of Kakopathar died after being run over by a grader engaged in the same construction work.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement regarding the latest incident.