A road contractor’s quest for dues owed to him by the public works department has proven to be a life-breaking ordeal for him and his wife, pushing them into a spiral of misfortune and tragedy – the couple has lost their young daughter and almost lost their grandchild in the process.
They have been on a dharna at Azad Maidan for the past seven months but to no avail. Bereft and having lost all hope, the couple from Nanded, attempted immolation by pouring kerosene and setting themselves ablaze outside Mantralaya in south Mumbai on Thursday afternoon.
However, policemen on the spot detained Raju Hulgude and his wife, Prayagabai Hulgude and took them to Marine Drive police station, where they were counselled. Hulgude, a contractor from Nanded, had allegedly not received payment from the public works department for road construction work carried out by him, despite repeated requests, he said.
Hulgude said that he had worked on an 8.5kmlong road from Palam Road to Dhanora Kale in Nanded district, incurring a cost of Rs 1.70 crore. But he has only received Rs 14 lakh of this amount. When he sought to be paid the remainder of his dues, he and his wife were beaten, he said.
He approached Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan for help but when even this failed to work, he and his wife were pushed to take the ultimate step.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Hulgude said, “To begin the initial work in the contract, my daughter had lent me Rs 15 lakh, which she had borrowed from her husband. Soon, my son-in-law began to harass my daughter for the money, constantly asking her, ‘When will your father give back my money?’.
But I did not have any money to repay her and this led to regular fights with her husband. Unable to bear the distress, she died by suicide, setting herself ablaze. Even her six-monthold child would have perished with her but we rushed him to the hospital and saved him, although he suffered severe burn injuries.” “We have been protesting and holding a fast at Azad ground for seven months now but there have been no results.
From 10am to 5pm every day, we would sit in protest and after 5pm, we would sleep on the footpath. We have no farm land and our house is mortgaged. For the initial work of the contract, I had also borrowed money from several people in the village as well but I am unable to return it. They come regularly, asking for it and have threatened to end their lives on my doorstep if we don’t return their money, but what am I to do?
I have no money to give them and I suffer sleepless nights. My wife and I have lived in this nightmare for so long, that we finally decided to end it all today. We have no reason to live anymore. We have lost our daughter, we are unable to return the money to others who constantly threaten us every day and all this while, the department which is supposed to give us our money is treating me like just another fool. We have nowhere to go, no option left but to end our torturous lives,” Hulgude concluded.
