Guwahati Youth's Death Brings JICA Negligence To Fore

The incident of a youth falling into an uncovered dugout pit in Guwahati’s Hengerabari area has once again brought to the fore the negligence of officials carrying out Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded projects in the city.

According to sources, the youth identified as Mantu Deka, had fallen into the pit while he was walking back home on Thursday night. He was later admitted to a Dispur Polyclinic for medical treatment as he sustained some injuries.

However, on Saturday morning, Deka unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. It is alleged that he died due to wrong treatment by the hospital authorities. Sources said that Deka’s health deteriorated after being administered an injection and died shortly after.

The incident has sparked a row with his family members urging for strict action against JICA as well as hospital authorities for negligence in their duties.

While the exact cause of his death is yet to be established, JICA's role in putting the man in the hospital in the first place cannot be ignored. Earlier this year, a school girl lost her life when the two-wheeler she was traveling in lost control and tripped over an open dug-out, following which a school bus ran over her - killing her on the spot.

Initially, the fault seemed to be on the part of the school bus but eyewitnesses have asserted that the presence of the dug-up pathway in the area was the major contributing factor to the mishap.

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