It was 55-year-old Vijayamma, who faced with a fearsome prospect of losing her only dwelling on the foothills at Mallavaram village, tried to end her life by consuming poison on February 22 at the weekly grievance programme at the ZP Office compound. On Monday, Challa Ramaiah, president of district unit of a group fighting for rights of physically challenged, tried to jump to death protesting delay in recruitment under the PH quota.
Some quick action by the police saved their lives but the rise in such incidents has brought the spotlight on the grievance day held every Monday at ZP office compound. Petitioners, associations and NGOs across the district submit grievances to the District Collector who in turn endorses the petition to the respective departments. The heads of departments are also present at the programme.
But over the last two years, petitioners seeking redress of their grievances have been left high and dry. With the senior officers, including Collector and Joint Collector, preoccupied with the ‘Capital,’ issues, the pendency of grievances has been steadily rising. In the absence of senior officers, the seriousness in dealing with grievances has been missing.
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A glance at the statistics revealed that out of 14,265 grievances received on Mondays, only 6,789 have been solved. The rate at which Janmabhoomi petitions have been solved was expectedly high at 83 per cent while just 38 per cent of petitions submitted in general grievance have been solved. Out of 1,513 grievances routed from the Chief Minister’s Office, 526 have been solved.
Senior officials, however, cite different reasons for the delay in solving the issues and say that the two incidents on the ZP office premises were not due to pending grievances.
“It is true that senior officials have been busy with work related to capital and also meetings held in Vijayawada. But officers in the rank of DRO and special deputy collector are attending the grievance day and looking into complaints. We will take measures to solve the grievances on a priority basis,’’ District Revenue Officer K. Naga Babu said.
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High drama
High drama prevailed during the weekly grievance redressal programme on the premises of Zilla Parishad office compound after a leader of A.P Vikalungula Hakkula Porata Samithi (APVHS) climbed atop the building threatening to commit suicide.
Challa Ramaiah, who was among the leaders staging a sit-in in front of the building, suddenly got on top of the two storied building with the aid of two supporters. After scaling the parapet wall, he threatened to commit suicide by jumping down. Tension prevailed for close to one hour as the man refused to relent and insisted that the District Collector should come and gives an assurance that all his demands would be met. “The district administration has not filled up backlog posts under physically handicapped quota. Eligible persons who have been selected for the jobs have not got appointed letters for delay in verifying their educational and PH certificates,’’ said Koduru Venkatrami Reddy, president of APVHPS. But some quick thinking by the police saved the day. Station House Inspector, Nagarampalem, Hyma Rao, reached the top of the building along with his men. Two of police personnel in civilian clothes, got near the man after posing as media persons and pulled him back.
Later, the agitating leaders met Collector Kantilal Dande and submitted a list of demands including a house site/double bed room for every eligible beneficiary, filling up all vacancies in various government departments, 50 per cent concession in super luxury, 3 per cent quota in jobs in private sector etc and constitution of a separate ministry for the physically challenged.