Fix official responsibility in death of 10 NREGA women workers: NAPM demands

Counterview Desk
Expressing shock at the death of 10 NREGA women workers in Telangana, India's top civil society network National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) has demanded judicial probe and official accountability for avoidable loss of lives, saying, the incident is a cruel and unforgivable consequence of the neglect by the authorities.
In a statement signed, among others, by Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan; Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information; Dr Binayak Sen of the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties; and Prafulla Samantara of the Lok Shakti Abhiyan, NAPM has demanded RS 50 lakh compensation to each family and audit of the status of implementation of labour laws.

Text of the statement:

The National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) is deeply shocked and pained to know of the tragic, on-site death of 10 NREGA women workers two days back in Teeleru, Telangana, primarily due to official apathy. This is in addition to another woman worker Ch Lakshmi battling for life and 5 other women injured, even as officials estimate an increase in casualties.
We express our most sincere condolences to the families of all the deceased women; Anuradha (30), Bheemamma (34), G. Buddhamma (36), B. Lakshmi (32), K. Lalamma (36), M. Lingamma (34), Ch. Ananthamma (42), P. Shekharamma (50), B. Ananthamma (54) and Ch. Lakshmi (42) in this moment of untold misery.
As per survivor accounts and field reports, the incident occurred at about 10:30 am on the morning of April 10, at the Y Tippagutta NREGA worksite, Teeleru panchayat, Marikal Mandal, Narayanpet district, when after completion of trench digging work in the scorching heat, 30 workers were taking rest at the foot of a small hillock.
It was at this moment that about 30 tractor-load mounds of mud and clay pellets came cascading on them, leading to the immediate death of the 10 women workers. While lack of safe shades for rest seems to be the primary reason for this tragedy, it also appears that irresponsible excavation work by the contractor has triggered the deaths.
Organizations associated with NAPM in Telangana including Dalit Bahujan Front, Samalochana, Upadhi Hami Phone Radio, Telangana Vyavasaya Vruttdarula Union as well as national platforms like the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, have, for over a decade now, been raising concerns related to safety and welfare of NREGA workers, which have not been adequately taken on board and addressed by the authorities. This incident is a cruel and unforgivable consequence of the neglect of the same.
Refusal of the government to provide something as basic as heat-resistant cloth tents (instead of plastic) at the work-site, which probably could have saved these 10 valuable lives, speaks volumes about the official insensitivity and priorities of a state, for who the working class and oppressed castes are often a mere vote-bank constituency, a number that is dispensable! That even plastic sheets have not been distributed to workers at many sites exposes further the disregard for workers rights.
Provisioning of safety shades is a mandatory requirement under the NREGA Act and rules, 2005 (Schedule II, Clause 23). The fact that despite multiple reminders and appeals by civil society groups to the Telangana Govt. to provide cloth tents, the same was not provided, leads us to conclude that this was a tragedy waiting to happen. Therefore, the Govt. and the Chief Minister cannot shirk their responsibility and accountability for these deaths, by calling this an 'unfortunate accident'.
We welcome the prompt and suo-moto intervention of the National Human Rights Commission in this regard, calling for a detailed report within four weeks from the Government of Telangana including “action taken against guilty, relief and rehabilitation to the families of the victims and status of the safety measures at such sites where deep digging is conducted”.
We hope the Commission will pursue this matter in right earnest to ensure action against those responsible and justice to the deceased and their families.
In the light of this tragic incident, NAPM demands:
a) A minimum of Rs 50 lakh as compensation to the families of each of the deceased women, to be disbursed within a week. The government must assume full responsibility for the education of the children of the deceased as well as health care of injured workers.
b) Registration of FIR against officials and contractors legally responsible for provision of employment and safety at the concerned worksite.
c) An independent judicial probe into the circumstances leading to the tragic death and fixing accountability at the highest levels of administrative and political decision-making.
d) Immediate audit / review of status of implementation of labour laws as well as rights and entitlements (including shades / cloth tents) at all the NREGA work-sites and provision of the same in terms of the NREGA Act, rules and notifications of the Union Ministry or Rural Development.

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Search This Blog