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Sircilla rocked by three more suicides by weavers

KARIMNAGAR: There was a sudden spurt in cases of suicide by the distressed powerloom weavers with three cases being reported in Sircilla on Saturday.

It was only a few days back that two powerloom weavers committed suicide following unemployment and debts. The entire issue of weavers’ plight shot into limelight when Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi made a surprise visit to Sircilla on September 20 to call on the aggrieved families.

On Saturday, Vengala Srinivas (30) ended his life as he was distressed owing to unemployment and mounting debts. He consumed pesticide in his house in Sundaraiahnagar and went to his parents’ house in Tarakanagar where he collapsed. He is survived by wife and two children.

In another incident, Siddarala Mallesham (30) committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his rented house in Shantinagar locality.

He had incurred debts to the tune of Rs. 50,000 due to unemployment and was worried about not being able to clear his debts. He locked the house when other members of his family went out and committed suicide. He too is survived by wife and two children.

Sherla Srinivas (25), another powerloom weaver, committed suicide by jumping into the nearby lake in Rajivnagar locality. Like the other two, he had incurred debts and was unable to get a job. His wife was pregnant.

Irked over the failure of the State government to stop the suicides by the distressed powerloom weavers, the CPI-M, TDP, TRS and BJP leaders staged a massive rasta roko on the main road in Sircilla on Saturday evening.

CPI-M leader Patham Ravi, CITU leader M. Ramesh, TRS’ G. Yellappa, TDP Chenetha cell leader Kanakaah, BJP leader N. Shankar and others participated in the dharna and rasta roko. The leaders who threatened to intensify their agitation demanded that the government step down from power for its failure to stop the suicides.

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