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Contractor’s kin seek Karnataka govt’s help to clear ₹4-crore dues
Family of a contractor who died by suicide last year seeks help from Congress government in Karnataka over pending dues of ?4 crore. BJP leaders had promised to clear the bills and provide a government job for the victim's wife, but the family claims they have been neglected. The Congress government has not responded yet.
The family of the Belagavi-based contractor, who allegedly died by suicide last year, has sought the help of the Congress government over the ₹4 crore pending dues.
The 37-year-old contractor, also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, was found dead at a hotel in Udupi on April 12, 2022, barely two weeks after accusing then Karnataka rural development and panchayat raj minister KS Eshwarappa of harassing him for 40% commission to release payment for work done.
According to the victim’s brother, during the assembly election period earlier this year, several BJP leaders, including former minister Murugesh Nirani, Lakshman Savadi (now with the Congress), Mahantesh Kavatagimath, BJP Belagavi district president, and former MLA Sanjay Patil, visited the family in Hindalaga, Belagavi taluk, to express their condolences. They also assured the grieving family of clearing all pending bills and promised a government job for the victim’s wife.
“Not only did those from the BJP offer condolences to our family, but the current government is also neglecting us. Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar had promised to stand with the family and settle the pending bills before the election, but everyone seems to have forgotten us.”
However, Sanjay Patil refuted the claims. He stated that the victim was not a member of the BJP, and the party had never promised to settle the pending bills or provide a job to his wife.
“As district party president, I led the delegation to the grieving family. However, we never promised to clear the pending bills or secure a government job for his wife. The statement made by the brother is false,” he said.
Disappointed by the previous BJP government’s failure to fulfil its promises, the family has now turned to the Congress government for help. Lakshmi Hebbalkar, the minister of women and child development, represents the constituency where the grieving family resides.
“Before the last election, minister Lakshmi had visited our home on a few occasions, consoled the family and assured us of help. Now she is a minister, we hope she may attend to our need and provide a job to his wife, “ said the victim’s brother.
The brother said there has not been any response from the Congress or government so far.
However, Belagavi (rural) Congress president, Vinay Navalgatti, assured the issue would be brought to chief minister Siddaramaiah’s attention through Belagavi district in-charge minister Satish Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar after the two-day opposition meeting in Bengaluru.
“Unlike BJP, we will not escape from our responsibility. As far as attending to the needs, we never consider people on political parties, language, religion etc. We shortly attend to the grieving family,” Navalgatti said
