Hyderabad: Two private contractors tried to end their lives by pouring petrol on themselves during a large protest at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) headquarters on Thursday. They were protesting over unpaid bills and demanded immediate payment of their pending dues.
The two contractors were quickly saved by their colleagues and taken to a hospital for a medical check-up. The protest saw hundreds of contractors gather, chanting slogans such as “No payment, no works.” They also threatened to stop working on all civic maintenance projects across the city if their demands were not met. Some protesters revealed that their bills had been pending for over a year.
The contractors stated that they were in severe financial distress, with some having taken loans at high interest rates to complete ongoing projects. They submitted a petition to GHMC Commissioner Ilambarithi, urging him to release their payments immediately.
In response, the Commissioner met with the protesting contractors and discussed their concerns. He assured them that funds would be allocated next month to settle the pending payments.