The 42-day strike by Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs) took a serious turn on Sunday, when one of them, Koraboina Ashok (25), hanged himself at Bolarum village of Nagireddypet mandal in Kamareddy district.
This was the second suicide by a VRA since the commencement of the agitation demanding payment as per the pay scales of the government. The earlier one was by Challa Ramesh at Machareddy in the same Kamareddy district, according to co-convenor of the State-level joint action committee of VRAs Y. Venkatesh Yadav.
The relatives of Mr. Ashok and a large number of VRAs staged a dharna on Sunday with his body near the government hospital at Yellareddy resenting the ‘indifference’ of the government towards the demand of pay scales. A scuffle ensued between the demonstrators and police when the latter tried to disperse the mob.
