KMVN gas mngr dies, colleagues say ‘he took poison due to work pressure’

Pithoragarh: A 55-year-old manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) gas agency in Uttarakhand’s Champawat district died on Sunday evening after he returned from work. His colleagues at the gas agency claimed that he consumed a poisonous substance as he could not cope with the work pressure due to the prevailing circumstances in the country because of the conflict in West Asia. However, family members denied this and said the cause of death will be known after the postmortem report comes.

On Monday, some KMVN workers went on a strike and did not distribute cooking gas in some places in Kumaon. Colleagues claimed victim Dayal Singh Rawat had recently told his friend that “he was crumbling, physically and mentally, due to too much work pressure and he was facing heat from consumers and the administration alike.”

KMVN is the main agency for LPG distribution in Kumaon, though some small agencies are also distributing cooking gas in the region.

SP Rekha Yadav said an investigation will be conducted into his death. “Rawat’s family members did not say anything about consumption of poison,” said Yadav.

Rawat’s brother-in-law Rajendra Singh Bora told TOI on Sunday that he looked normal when he came home from work. “Rawat called around 6.30 pm Sunday, informing me that he was going to the hospital to get his maternal uncle, who had undergone gall blader surgery, discharged from hospital. The two came back after one hour. Rawat soon complained of discomfort and asked his family to take him to hospital, where he died,” said Bora.

Champawat police station in-charge B S Bisht said, “The district hospital informed us about Rawat’s death. The body was handed over to the family after postmortem, the report of which is awaited.”

Usha Rana, gas manager, KMVN Pithoragarh, said Rawat’s death was not due to work pressure, though she accepted that gas distribution workers are under pressure due to the prevailing situation.