Bengaluru: A waterman died by suicide in front of a panchayat office in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district, alleging non-payment of salary for the past 27 months and mental harassment by local officials.
Chikoosa Nayaka said he had been working at the Honganuru Gram Panchayat since 2016. In his suicide note, he said that despite repeatedly requesting settlement of his pending salary and even submitting a resignation due to ill health, officials failed to respond.
"I have been working as the waterman since 2016. I requested the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) and the Gram Panchayat president to clear my 27-month pending salary, but they ignored me. I even approached the Zilla Panchayat CEO, but nothing happened," he wrote.
The note further alleged that the PDO, Rame Gowda, and the husband of the Gram Panchayat president, Mohan Kumar, subjected him to continuous mental harassment.
"If I asked for leave, they would tell me to find a replacement before taking time off. They made me stay in the office from 8 am to 6 pm. I am ending my life due to the harassment of the PDO and Mohan Kumar," the note said, urging authorities to take legal action against them.
Following the incident, police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the PDO, the Gram Panchayat president, and her husband.
After the suicide, the Zilla Panchayat CEO suspended Rame Gowda, citing negligence and violation of service rules.
The BJP slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying another government employee "fell victim to the Congress government's suicide fortune".
"Just two days ago, a librarian in Kalaburagi died by suicide due to unpaid wages, and before the shock of that incident could subside, another life has been lost to the bankruptcy of the Karnataka government," he said on X on Friday.
"Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, a poor person earning a mere Rs 5,000 a month has been driven to death because you failed to pay his salary for two years. Does your government have no heart at all? No humanity at all? How many more innocent government employees and contractors must become victims of your misgovernance," he said.
Source: NDTV