Kothagadi Yadamma was in her 60s. On Saturday morning, she had cardiac arrest and passed away. Many in the village mourned her. Except some age-related ailments, she had no serious health problems.
But for the past 10 days or so she had no proper sleep or food. She had worried about the dismantling of the house being constructed by her children. The house was dismantled by revenue officials with police protection. Her children had spent a few lakhs of rupees on the construction.
Yadamma family had been using the land as cattle shed for the past several years and they decided to construct a house.
On September 22, revenue officials dismantled more than a dozen houses, stating that they had been constructed on government land. Though some house owners showed receipts for tax they had been paying to the local panchayat and the allotment letters issued by the authorities in the past, the revenue officials did not care for them.
“The locals are showing tax receipts for some other assets. They were given sites at one place and they occupied some other place. That is why we dismantled the houses under construction and notice were issued to some others who are staying in them,” revenue officials said.
“My grand mother was worried about the house and she cried day in and day out. We are unable to console her and in the morning she had cardiac arrest and died. Who is responsible for her death? Why was our house dismantled despite having all valid documents?” asked K. Sandeep Kumar, grandson of Yadamma.