In a desperate act, an elderly man in Odisha attempted self-immolation during a public grievance hearing, highlighting the critical need for road access and responsive local governance.
Key Points
- An elderly man in Jajpur, Odisha, attempted self-immolation during a public grievance hearing.
- The man claimed his repeated requests for an approach road to his house were ignored by local authorities.
- The incident occurred at the District Rural Development Agency conference hall during a public hearing.
- Police intervened to prevent the self-immolation attempt.
- The collector has directed immediate action to address the road access issue.
A 73-year-old man allegedly attempted self-immolation during a public grievance hearing in Odisha's Jajpur district on Monday, claiming that repeated appeals for the construction of an approach road to his house had gone unanswered, officials said.
Desperate Plea for Road Construction
The incident took place at the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) conference hall, where Collector Ambar Kumar Kar was conducting a public grievance hearing.
The man, identified as Jogendra Nayak of Andola village under Dasarathapur block, allegedly took out a plastic bottle containing petrol, poured it on himself and attempted to set himself ablaze.
Police personnel deployed at the venue intervened promptly and prevented the attempt.
Years of Unanswered Requests
Nayak alleged that he had been facing difficulties for nearly two years in securing an approach road to his residence and accused local revenue authorities of ignoring his repeated requests.
"There is no proper road leading to my house. In case of an emergency, vehicles cannot reach us," he said.
According to Nayak, he had made several visits to the Dasarathapur tehsil office seeking construction of the road but had not received any relief.
"Out of desperation, I decided to end my life and came to the collector's public hearing with the intention of taking this extreme step," he alleged.
Immediate Action Promised
Following the incident, the collector directed Sub-Collector Tapas Ranjan Dehury to take immediate steps to address the issue and facilitate the construction of an approach road to Nayak's house, officials said.
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