Both victims were BTech graduates

Rourkela/Keonjhar: Two BTech graduates' aspiration for a better prospect were shattered on Tuesday when they died while appearing for the forest recruitment exam.Twenty-eight-year-old Prabin Kumar Panda had completed his BTech degree from Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, and was working with Tata Power before applying for the forest service position.Panda, who is originally from Ganjam district, was staying at a local lodge in Fertiliser Township in Rourkela. His father, Khadal Kumar Panda, runs a stationery shop at the township. "We are heartbroken and at a loss for words. Prabin's health was always good and we cannot believe that he is no more," Babula Khadenga, the deceased's brother-in-law, said.He has demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident, questioning the decision to conduct a 25-km walk under scorching heat.Panda is survived by his parents, an elder sister who is married and a younger brother who works as a scientist in Gujarat. His body has been kept at the Rourkela Government Hospital and the last rites will be performed after his younger brother arrives on Wednesday.Byomkesh Naik (28), a native of Ostopanga village in Keonjhar district, had completed BTech from a college in Gunupur in Rayagada district.He was working as a junior assistant in the office of sub-collector, Keonjhar. He was also selected for panchayat extension officer (PEO) post recently but had not joined.He was married and left behind his wife and a one-year-old daughter. His father, who worked as a home guard, died in a road accident in Joda area more than a year ago.