Hyderabad: Amid protests at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) headquarters on Thursday, January 9, two individuals attempted suicide by dousing themselves in petrol, as contractors voiced their concerns over unpaid bills.
The two contractors who attempted suicide were swiftly rescued by their fellow workers and have been reportedly taken to a hospital in Hyderabad for a medical check-up.
Raising slogans like “No payment, No work”, they threatened to stop working on all the civic maintenance projects across Hyderabad. Some contractors claimed that their bills had been pending for over a year.
According to reports, contractors submitted a petition to GHMC Commissioner Ilambarthi, urging the immediate release of their dues. In response, Ilambarthi assured that Rs 200 crore would be allocated next month to clear the pending payments.
TOI previously reported that over 3,000 contractors halted work due to a lack of funds, with GHMC reportedly owing them Rs 2 crore for various tasks, including desilting, instant repairs, drain works, and road maintenance.
“The financial strain has taken a heavy toll on the contractors,” GHMC contractors’ association stated to TOI.
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This protest is not the first of its kind as contractors had previously staged a similar demonstration on May 20 demanding the clearance of overdue bills at the corporation’s headquarters.
Speaking to the media, the contractors in Hyderabad said, “With delay in payments, all these works are being carried out by taking loans against their wife’s gold ornaments.” They expressed their difficulty paying salaries to their employees while suffering financial losses.
GHMC contractors earlier mentioned that at least four of their employee’s have lost their lives due to heart attacks in the last year.
