Ration shop employee attempts suicide; alleges harassment

A 27-year old ration shop employee here today attempted suicide alleging that higher officials were harassing him.
However, top officials rejected the charge and claimed he had been facing complaints of diversion of PDS rice and was trying to intimidate by attempting suicide.
Police said Ramesh, a salesman with the shop run by Cooperative department, consumed poison and was undergoing treatment at government hospital in nearby Periyakulam.
He has given a statement to police stating that he was taking the extreme step as he could not put up with the alleged harassment by his superiors.
However, District Collector N Venkatachalam and Joint Registrar of Co-operatives V M Chandrasekhar denied the charge.

Venkatachalam told PTI that Ramesh had been warned twice for 'failure' to supply ration commodities to 550 card holders. He had allegedly diverted rice meant for public distribution,and this caused resentment among the people who had sent a series of complaints to the department.
Ramesh had made bogus entries in the bills and stocks were found dificient repeatedly in the past several months and by attempting suicide he was trying to intimidate the officials, he charged.
Venkatachalam said the strategy of threatening officials by suicide attempt was being used by erring PDS employees of late.