Lucknow: Contractor climbs water tank, threatens to kill self if payment not made

A high voltage drama was witnessed at the Lucknow Zoo on Sunday afternoon when a forest department contractor climbed atop a water tank alleging non-clearance of payments done by him since 2013.

Other than police and fire department personnel, a large crowd gathered around the water tank when the contractor started shouting from the top and threatened to end his life.

The contractor, Brijendra Kumar Singh of Vishal Khand, Gomti Nagar, said he was upset since his payment was not being cleared by the forest department for several years and pleaded with the police to get him his dues.

He told the cops that one Piyush Srivastava, a forest department employee, engaged him for different works that were required within the zoo.

Singh said he had cleaned the nullah (drain) inside the zoo premises several times and also shredded tree branches as ordered. He said the payments of all this work amounting to ₹13.85 lakh is still pending with the forest department.

District forest officer Manoj Sonkar said that budget is provided to the zoo authority every financial year and they are the one who deal with the contractors.

Additional SP of Lucknow (east), Sarvesh Kumar Mishra said that Singh has been asked to give the bills along with the application so that the matter could be pursued with the concerned authorities.