To prevent further recurrences of suicide threats as people climb onto water tanks to get their demands fulfilled, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to lock the stairs and even demolish the unused ones.
The decision comes after a lawyer and his family climbed on to a water tank in Prayagraj earlier this week and remained there for almost 60 hours.
The lawyer, Vijay Pratap along with his wife, son, daughter and two relatives, had climbed atop a water tank in Beli area and refused to come down until the authorities accepted his demand for a CBI inquiry into a number of cases in which, he alleged, that he had been falsely implicated. He had also threatened that if his demands were not accepted, he would pour petrol on himself and his family members and set everyone ablaze.
“After hours of persuasion and promise from our side that he won’t be harmed and Hardoi administration has also agreed to initiate action on his allegations, the lawyer and his family climbed down. We have sent him to Hardoi along with SDM Sangdila and a Circle Officer ranked officer”, said ADM City, Prayagraj, A.K. Kanojia.
Taking note of the incident that kept the entire administration on their toes for three days, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R.K. Tiwari has sent letters to all district magistrates in this regard, asking them to ensure that the stairs of water tanks are locked up and the one not being used should be demolished.
He has asked for an action-taken report on the matter.
A senior official said, “These Veeru-like incidents from Sholay are becoming a regular feature. Last week, five farmers in Shahjahanpur climbed on to water tank claiming that they were not being able to sell their produce at a procurement centre. Individuals climbing onto water tanks to coerce the administration to accept their demand, keep the entire administration on tenterhooks. The practice must be checked.” ( IANS )
