Three Andhra labourers allegedly commit suicide; "no work," said one in video
Hyderabad: At least three persons, all of whom were believed to be dependent on the construction sector for their livelihood, have killed themselves in separate incidents in the Tenali, Guntur and Mangalagiri regions of Andhra Pradesh this month. Their deaths have been linked by many to the slump in activity in the sector caused by a change in the state's policy on sand - which is required in large quantities to help strengthen buildings and used to make both cement and concrete.
One of the victims, Venkatesh, who lived in Guntur district, recorded a selfie before hanging himself. In the video, recorded over three weeks ago but which only became public now, he said he was killing himself because he was unemployed and had no other means of earning a living. According to his wife, Raashi, Venkatesh had been unemployed for the past four months.
"Our livelihood means was only construction business. My husband did not know any other work. We also have a one-year-old son who is not feeling well and needs medical care," she said.
A video, believed to be the one recorded by Venkatesh, has been tweeted by former Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose Telugu Desam party (TDP), which was in power earlier, has been accused by the ruling YSR Congress of being in cahoots with an alleged sand mafia.
In his Twitter message the former Chief Minister said it was "mind-boggling to see workers committing suicide".
"It is mind-boggling to see workers committing suicide for five months without work or families starving. The government should wake up to self-styled videos of selfies as a refuge," Mr Naidu wrote in Telugu.
Venkatesh's neighbours say the area they live in - Gorantla - is full of men and women who work in construction-related fields, like tile work, plumbing and construction.
"No one is having work and conditions are really bad. We appeal to the government to see that this changes," a neighbour said.
The other deaths were of Naga Brahmaji from Tenali, who killed himself earlier this month, and from Mangalagiri.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress government has tried to overhaul the sand policy in the state.
Last month the Chief Minister announced new rules under which the previous administration's "free sand policy" was scrapped and the material was made available only from government-owned stockyards.
The fallout of the policy has been that sand procurement has declined, affecting both the construction and real estate sectors.
The Jana Sena Party, which was founded by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan and has a single seat in the state Assembly, has sought the centre's intervention to help more than 30 lakh people who are employed, either directly or indirectly, by the construction section.
"I appeal to the centre to come to the rescue of construction workers. The AP government's chaotic sand policy has put lakhs of workers out of job and put their families in a state of misery," the party chief said
The TDP has demanded the government pay each worker Rs. 10,000 as compensation. The ruling party has blamed sand scarcity in the Krishna Basin, due to recent floods, for the situation.
అయిదు నెలలుగా పనులు లేక, కుటుంబాలు పస్తులు ఉండడం చూడలేక మనోవేదనతో కార్మికులు ఆత్మహత్యలు చేసుకోవడం మనసును కలచివేస్తోంది. సెల్ఫీ వీడియోలతో ఆత్మహత్యలే తమకిక శరణ్యంగా పేర్కొనడం చూసైనా ఈ ప్రభుత్వం మేల్కొనాలి.పనులు కోల్పోయిన కార్మికులకు పరిహారం చెల్లించాలి. pic.twitter.com/NhQAYHFQF1
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) October 28, 2019
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
