Belagavi: A contractor made a suicide attempt by drinking poison in the presence of the executive engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) office in Belagavi, alleging corruption and mistreatment by the authorities.
Nagappa Bangi, the contractor from Ganikoppa village, claimed that he had completed a road construction project from Halaga village to Tigadi village in 2022, amounting to Rs. 6 lakh 50 thousand, but he had not received payment from the department. He accused Assistant Executive Engineer Ramesh Hegde and Executive Engineer Basavaraj Halagi of deliberately delaying his payment and pressuring him for a bribe.
Bangi expressed his frustration, stating that he had been seeking assistance for the past year to clear his dues but had received no cooperation from the officials. He felt he had no choice but to resort to a desperate act like consuming poison. This suicide attempt by Bangi has triggered strong reactions from contractors in the district, who assert that they are facing harassment from PWD officials. They allege that these officials demand bribes to settle bills and prolong payment delays for several months.
Authorities present at the scene promptly intervened, confiscating the pesticide bottle from the contractor and transferring him to a hospital for medical attention.
