• MIDC Negligence Pushes Tribal Couple to Suicide
• Ignored for a Year, Forced to Die
• Barvi Project Promises Betrayed
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
A tribal farmer couple from Murbad’s Barvi dam-affected zone died by suicide after MIDC officials allegedly ignored their repeated pleas to appoint their daughter in place of their deceased son. Despite formal applications and political recommendations, no action was taken. The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) exposes systemic negligence and growing calls for criminal action against responsible officers.
Tribal Couple’s Suicide Exposes Grave Apathy in Barvi Project Rehabilitation
A shocking case of institutional negligence has emerged from Sukhala Wadi village in Murbad taluka, where a tribal farmer couple—Mangal Goma Ughda (45) and his wife Sangita Mangal Ughda (40)—consumed pesticide and ended their lives. The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) has found that the couple had been pleading for over a year to get their daughter appointed in a government job following the accidental death of their son, Karan, who was employed under the Barvi Dam Project quota.
Despite repeated applications, follow-ups, and even a political recommendation, the MIDC and district administration failed to act. The tragic deaths have triggered widespread outrage in the region, with activists and villagers holding the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) accountable for the preventable loss.
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Barvi Dam Policy Ignored: Daughter Denied Job After Son’s Death
As per state policy, each Barvi dam-affected family is entitled to at least one government job. Karan Ughda, the deceased son, was working in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation when he died in a road accident on 8 March 2023. His father, Mangal Ughda, formally applied on 26 April 2023 to the Rehabilitation Department at the Thane Collector’s Office, requesting that his daughter Kalpana be appointed in Karan’s place.
When no response was received, additional requests were submitted to the Executive Engineer of the Barvi Dam Division in Ambernath on 28 April 2023. Further, local MLA Kisan Kathore issued a formal recommendation letter to the MIDC CEO in Andheri on 22 May 2023. However, according to SIT findings, this letter too was ignored. Most recently, the couple submitted a final plea to the Superintending Engineer in Dombivli, stating that they had no choice but to end their lives if their daughter’s appointment was denied. Sadly, the warning was not taken seriously.
567 Affected Families Still Await Jobs: Pattern of Deliberate Delay
According to Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT), this is not an isolated incident. Since 2017–18, hundreds of Barvi project-affected families have been systematically sidelined. Sources allege that due to flawed and arbitrary land surveys conducted under the tenure of former Executive Engineer Prakash Chavan and his successor Sushant Yuke, no concrete action has been taken to ensure employment to 567 eligible affected families. This bureaucratic negligence has effectively pushed many families into economic ruin.
The Ughda family’s suicide has ignited widespread anger in Murbad and surrounding areas. Citizens are questioning how a government-promised job for project-displaced families could be delayed for over a year without accountability. The couple’s death is now being seen as the result of deliberate administrative stonewalling.
SIT Calls for Criminal Charges Against Negligent MIDC Officials
In response to the tragedy, Barvi Project-Affected Association President Kamalakar Bhoir announced a protest on Tuesday, 15 July, outside the Murbad Police Station and Tehsildar’s Office. The protest will demand that FIRs be filed under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against responsible MIDC officers. Bhoir stated that the “criminal negligence and callous disregard” shown by government officials has cost innocent lives and must be dealt with seriously.
The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) has also confirmed that despite repeated media coverage and formal recommendations, the MIDC has not initiated any corrective action. The pattern suggests a deep-rooted bureaucratic indifference toward tribal and rural project-affected citizens.
Also Read: DY Patil Dean Faces Probe for Violating MMC Norms Legal Action Looms.
A Broken System: Will Justice Be Served?
This incident has brought to light a glaring failure in the implementation of rehabilitation policies linked to industrial and dam projects. While the government mandates compensation and employment for displaced families, the Ughda couple’s tragedy reflects how ground-level execution is marred by red tape and indifference.
Whether justice will be delivered to the grieving family, or whether this will be yet another case buried under administrative paperwork, remains to be seen. The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) will continue monitoring the case, urging intervention from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Maharashtra Human Rights Commission, and the Chief Minister’s Office.
