Tadepalli, May 13: In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a woman from Viparintalapadu village, Chandarlapadu mandal, Nandigama constituency, ended her life after being publicly humiliated by a field assistant under MGNREGS. A former teacher and active TDP worker recorded a selfie video before consuming pesticide, explicitly blaming the field assistant’s insults and exposing corruption in the scheme. Her plea for justice to MLA Tangirala Soumya and her husband has been callously ignored, with the police registering her death as suspicious and her husband citing stomach pain as the cause. This shameful act is the coalition government’s failure to value women’s lives and protect rural workers
Speaking at the YSRCP central office, former MLA Dr. Monditoka Jaganmohan Rao condemned the coalition’s systemic sabotage of MGNREGS, a scheme designed to empower rural communities. Since assuming power, the government has sacked 12,000 field assistants, halted wage payments since March 15, and slashed workdays from 6 crore in April 2023-24 under YSRCP to 4.5 crore in April 2024-25. The woman’s video revealed fake muster rolls and unchecked corruption, which she refrained from reporting to protect 200 workers’ livelihoods. Her sacrifice demands accountability, yet TDP leaders appear to shield the accused, exposing their hypocrisy.

Previously, in Kakinada Rural, a female field assistant faced extortion and sexual harassment. In Kurnool, field assistant Eeranna was brutally murdered. In Tirupati, workers protested forced resignations, while in Parvathipuram Manyam, 300 were denied work for supporting YSRCP. High Court has questioned the dominance of elected representatives over field assistants, yet the coalition government remains indifferent. Unfulfilled promises like fee reimbursements and the Aadabidda Nidhi scheme have deepened rural distress, pushing citizens to despair.

“We demand immediate action: punish the guilty field assistant, investigate MGNREGS corruption, and restore the scheme’s integrity,” said Dr. Jaganmohan Rao. “If a TDP worker’s life is so devalued, what hope is there for others? The coalition must stop betraying the people and honor its commitments.” The YSRCP calls for a transparent probe, strict enforcement of labor protections, and urgent reforms to prevent such tragedies.
