''No work'' deaths due to sand shortage cross 50 in AP; ex-CM stages protest

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, November 15  

These pictures say it all. This one-year-old baby is too young to understand the pain of her mother, but she wipes her mother’s tears. Venkatamma's husband Naga Brahmaji, a construction worker, killed himself as he was unable to find work and support his family.

Over 50 workers, unable to get work, have committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh, after sand scarcity in the state was allegedly created by sand mafia.  

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu along with the families of the construction workers, who committed suicide, on Thursday sat on a 12-hour hunger strike against the alleged “sand mafia”.

He began his strike by offering tributes to workers who had allegedly committed suicide owing to sand shortage and lack of work by garlanding their portraits.

While Naidu himself wore a garland of ‘sand packets’ offered by the TDP workers, many touching scenes were witnessed when widows of those who committed suicide spoke about the financial plight of their families, which resulted to their men taking such extreme step.

Naidu alleged that the sand scarcity in the state was created by sand mafia, which was active with the full support of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who he alleged had entered into a secret deal with certain cement companies.

He alleged the sand mafia had spread its activities to neighbouring states as the sand from Andhra Pradesh was being transported illegally to Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

He also demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh for families of suicide victims and a Rs 10,000 allowance for workers.

The TDP was supported by most political parties over the issues.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has decided to impose a fine of Rs 2 lakh coupled with two-year imprisonment for those found guilty of hoarding sand in the state. The Cabinet also approved a “Sand Week” programme starting on Thursday to ensure availability of at least two lakh tonnes of sand per day in the state.

The Vijayawada Police had earlier refused permission to the TDP to hold their protest at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium, saying that Naidu was protected under the Z plus category and the stadium was not a good place to protest.

The TDP then decided to hold the protest at the Dharna Chowk.