Thane, May 31 (PTI) A labour union has demanded Rs 1 crore in compensation for the kin of a Thane municipal employee deployed at a quarantine centre who died of COVID-19 on retirement day on Saturday.

The man, deployed to provide food and water at Bhayander Pada quarantine centre, had tested positive on May 18, and was under treatment, and died at around 1:30 pm on Saturday, hours before he would have superannuated at the end of his shift under normal circumstances.

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In a letter to Thane Municipal Commissioner Vijay Singhal, chief of Municipal Labour Union Ravi Rao questioned why a man above the age of 55 years was given frontline duty.

"At the age of 58, when he should have been spending time with his family after retirement, unfortunately, he has died of COVID-19. His family must get Rs 1 crore compensation and a legal heir should get a job. The TMC must probe the circumstances that led his death," Rao said.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)