Date:18/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/18/stories/2008111858330300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

High drama at Banjara Hills

Staff Reporter

Five RSDP operators threaten to commit suicide at EDS office

Over 100 operators lay siege to EDS office
Two operators try to immolate themselves

—Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

TENSE MOMENTS: RSDP operators pour fuel and threaten to immolate themselves atop the EDS office building in Banjara Hills on Monday.

HYDERABAD: Rural Service Delivery Point (RSDP -also known as rural e-Seva centre) operators got a written assurance from the government on Monday to solve all their problems after their agitation took a serious turn with four of them threatening to commit suicide here at Banjara Hills.

Over 100 RSDP operators laid siege to the office of the Electronically Deliverable Services (EDS) from Monday morning urging the officials to increase their commissions and look into other issues.

Even as talks between them and the officials failed, five RSDP operators, after locking the iron grill gate leading to the staircase, went up the two-floor EDS office building threatening to end their life if their demands were not complied with, .

Tension prevailed as two of them threatened to resort to self-immolation and sprinkled petrol on themselves. They had carried the petrol in a plastic bottle.

The Banjara Hills police rushed to the spot and called in the fire service personnel to meet any eventuality while the EDS officials continued the talks with the other agitating RSDP operators.

Written assurance

Meanwhile, EDS Commissioner Suresh Chanda, invited a delegation of the RSDP operators to sort out the matter at the Secretariat in the evening.

Despite Mr. Chanda’s promise to “solve all problems”, the RSDP operators refused to relent urging the officials to give them a “written assurance” and “announce it before the media”.

With both the groups sticking to their guns, the discussions reached an impasse. Later, Banjara Hills Inspector Mohd. Iqbal Siddiqui, took the initiative to clear the stand-off by asking the officials and the agitators to sit for one more round of talks. Eventually, the Deputy Directors of the EDS agreed to give a written assurance on various points raised by the RSDP operators. For the issues that could be solved by the EDS Commissioner, they set November 30 as deadline.

The officials agreed to redress the remaining grievances involving other State and Central government wings by end of December.