KHAMMAM: In a shocking incident, unable to generate funds after being forced to cough up money, a woman farmer attempted suicide by consuming pesticide in front of Palair MLA Kandala Upender Reddy in Bodulabanda village in the district on Monday.
She has been seeking compensation for a couple who were daily wage labourers and were electrocuted in her field. Some middlemen have been forcing her to pay, she claims.Tummala Jyothi, 30, cultivated sugarcane in five acres of lease land. T Anand Rao and his wife Parvathi, who were working in her field, died of electrocution. She agreed to pay `6 lakh compensation to the couple’s family members.
On Monday, Jyothi met MLA Kandala Upender Reddy, and urged him to provide financial help to the deceased couple’s family as she was not in a position to pay them. Jyothi also informed the MLA that Transco had sanctioned `5 lakh as ex-gratia for the couple’s kin, however, some middlemen were forcing her to pay the compensation.
While the MLA was talking to her, she consumed pesticide and collapsed on the spot. She was shifted to the government hospital in Nelakondapalli and later to the Khammam hospital for better treatment.
Speaking to Express MLA K Upender Reddy said: “After talking to her, I came to know that she had agreed to pay compensation to the couple’s family but was not able to pay it. Then all of a sudden she consumed pesticide, it was all very shocking.”