KARIMNAGAR: Prajavani, the public grievance cell, which was conceptualised for the common man to get his problems solved by taking the issue directly to the district collector or senior officials, seems to be losing its seriousness.
An elderly person, who is said to have made 32 visits to the Prajavani, which is held every Monday at the district collectorate, over the past few months lost all hopes of getting his problem addressed. On Monday, the distraught man tried to commit suicide in the district collectorate complex. alleging official indifference to his representations, he doused himself with kerosene and tried to immolate himself. The staff of the collectorate and others thwarted his attempt.
According to eyewitnesses, Kannam Venkataiah of Rampur village in Huzurabad mandal is a vegetable vendor and has been residing in Karimnagar town.
He holds 35 guntas of land with a house at his native village Rampur, but it was encroached by his relatives. After failing to get back his land with the intervention of community elders, he decided to approach the district administration.
Venkataiah had to run from pillar to post for justice and attended Prajavani 32 times but there was no response from the administration. When contacted, district revenue officer Ayesha Masrat Khan told Express that she was not aware of any such (suicide attempt) incident at the Prajavani on Monday.
PRAJAVANI
The district collector receives petitions from people and directs the officials for redressing the same. Earlier, the petitions used to be disposed in a week but it is not the same now, petitioners say.
Second incident in one month
This is the second suicide attempt of a petitioner within a month at Karimangar collectorate. Janaki, who is married to a physically-challenged man Nagaiah, approached authorities with a request for providing employment to him but in vain. She attempted suicide in a similar manner but was rescued.