Tezpur: The brother of naval officer from Assam Naruttam Deuri, who was killed in the line of duty in a submarine explosion four years back, on Saturday appealed to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal for a government job.

Earlier, the navy had turned down the request, as Naruttam's brother Delton, 21, is physically challenged.

The Deuris hail from Narayanpur Major Chapori village in Lakhimpur district. Located on NH 15, the village is 40km from district headquarters Lakhimpur.

Naruttam, then 21, was in INS Sindhurakshak when it caught a major fire accompanied by an explosion on August 14, 2013 and sank at Mumbai's naval dockyard with 18 crew members. "My brother was not only serving the navy but the nation. The government should support our family but, despite repeated appeals, it has done nothing. The present state government has not thought about my future or that of my family. I urge chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to look into the matter. My father Jyotish Chandra Deuri had twice sent applications for my job but it yielded no result," Delton said.

He said during the erstwhile Congress rule, several ministers had come to their house and assured help but the present government never bothered to find out about their fate. He said when he approached Bihpuria MLA Debananda Hazarika for a job, he told him that the state government could do nothing and the Centre should look into it.

Delton also alleged that the memorial ground built for Naruttam by Deuro Autonomous Council in their village was sadly neglected.