Tension at Kamalapur as BILT worker attempts suicide

​Mangapet (Bhupalpalli): Tension prevailed here on Friday as a Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT) worker attempted suicide at Kamalapur Tahsildar office in the district during Telangana Formation Day celebrations.

The worker called as AV Subba Rao doused himself with petrol in a bid to commit suicide. However, his colleagues and the police got alerted and prevented him from lighting a match. He was and rushed to a hospital in Eturnagaram for treatment.

A large group of BILT workers has taken out a protest rally to the Tahsildar office displaying placards and shouting against the factory management and the State government. They staged a dharna as the State Formation Day celebrations were going on.

After the flag hoisting was over, they tried to obstruct the remaining programmes and entered into argument with the officials. They complained that despite several representations, the local leaders were not responding to their despair.

Nearly 639 workers and 31 clerical staff were not receiving wages since two years. Even after the State government announced financial assistance in April 2015 to reopen the factory, the management has not come forward to reopen the factory, complained the trade union leaders Ch Chokka Rao, Ganapathi, L Srinivas and others.

The workers, who were under depression due to financial problems, were resorting to suicides. The State and Central governments should put pressure on the factory management to resume the production and clear the pending wages, they added.