Mission Bhagiratha worker dies by suicide over unpaid wages in Khammam

A Mission Bhagiratha line operator in Khammam died by suicide after not receiving wages for four months. Workers on strike demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation, a family job, and immediate payment of pending salaries, disrupting water supply to 17 mandals

Khammam: Upset over the continuing non-payment of wages, a Mission Bhagiratha line operator, Chandanboina Gandhi (35), died by suicide by hanging himself at Palair in the district on Tuesday.

Mission Bhagiratha workers across Khammam have been on strike for the last 24 hours, demanding payment of salaries pending for the past four months. Gandhi had joined the protest earlier in the day but ended his life soon after reaching home.

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Mission Bhagiratha JAC leaders M Ravi of BRTU, Rambabu and Jakkula Yadagiri of CITU, Balakrishna and Madhu of INTUC alleged that Gandhi died by suicide as he was unable to bear financial difficulties caused by the delay in getting his salary.

Workers staged a protest in front of the Mission Bhagiratha office at Palair demanding justice for Gandhi’s family. They sought a government job for a family member of the deceased and a compensation of Rs 25 lakh along with his pending wage benefits.

L&T district manager TLK Reddy, Mission Bhagiratha DE Venkateshwara and AE Venugopal Reddy held talks with the JAC leaders in the presence of the local police. Yadagiri told Telangana Today that the officials remained non-committal on their demands and said the issue would be taken to the notice of higher officials.

Meanwhile, water supply to 17 mandals in the district was affected for the second consecutive day due to the strike.