ANANTAPUR: Tension prevailed at Vijayanagar colony in Anantapur when municipal and revenue authorities tried to remove encroachments in the tank of Anantapur. Protesting the decision of the officials, municipal corporator B. Umamaheswar and two TD leaders attempted suicide to stop the demolition of buildings belonging to poor and middle class sections. The leaders consumed pesticide when authorities forcibly began demolishing the constructions in the colony.
According to sources, there has been a controversy over the large scale encroachments in the tank close to Vijayanagar colony. Authorities had earlier tried remove the encroachments months back but had to stop temporarily following representations. This time, the teams arrived at the colony in the morning with heavy machinery and started demolishing houses and other constructions despite people pleaded to grant a day’s time to move their belongings from the houses.
The authorities refused to postpone their job following which corporator Umamaheswar and his aides Ramanna and B. Mallikarjuna consumed liquor at the spot. Officials immediately shifted them to general hospital.
