Jyotirmayee Panda

Sambalpur, July 30: The widow of sergeant Debendra Panda, who died after an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crashed in a field at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh on July 25, today alleged that her husband was not paid the due respect in his own state Odisha.

Debendra, who joined the Indian Air Force in 1996, was going to meet the central-in-chief of the air force in Allahabad when the accident took place. Seven persons, including Debendra, a native of Kudapali village in the Attabira police station limits in Bargarh district, died in the accident.

Debendra’s wife, Jyotirmayee, said: “No one from the state government or the district administration has come to console my family. No one has asked me how I shall live with my six-year-old daughter. They didn’t even make arrangement to bring my husband’s body from Raipur to Sambalpur.”

“My husband sacrificed his life for the nation. But, he was not given proper respect here in his own state. If the Odisha government and the district administration do not pay proper respect to those people, who sacrifice their lives for the nation, no one from the state will ever think of joining the army,” she said.

“The other six persons were given proper respect in their respective states. But, Debendra was denied it in Odisha,” said Debendra’s cousin, Deepak Dash.

Last year during the floods Uttarakhand, Debendra had taken part in rescuing people in Operation Rahat. He was awarded with several medals during his 18-year service tenure.

Debendra’s body was brought to Raipur in Chhattisgarh in a MIG-19. Chhattisgarh police gave the guard of honour at Raipur airport. The body was brought to Sambalpur from Raipur by road. “Officers of the Indian Air Force arranged the vehicle to come to Sambalpur. However, no steps were taken by the Odisha government to bring his body,” alleged Deepak.

The family members also said his body had been kept in Sambalpur for around 12 hours before the cremation was arranged at Kudapali. However, nobody from the Sambalpur district administration turned up to express condolence.

Sambalpur additional district magistrate Jyoti Kumar Lakra, however, said he went to the place, where Debendra’s body had been kept in Sambalpur. “The collector informed me about the arrival of the body, and I reached the spot immediately. I had also spent around two hours at the place and met some of his family members,” said Lakra.