Another farmer commits suicide in Haryana

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Tohana (Fatehabad), April 27

Yet another distressed farmer has ended his life in Haryana due to damage to his crop and refusal of the authorities to acknowledge his loss as fit for compensation.

Suraj Bhan (45), a debt-ridden farmer from Chander Kalan village falling under state BJP chief Subhash Barala’s Tohana assembly segment, was under depression ever since his crop had been damaged due to inclement weather and the revenue officials had refused to include his fields for special girdawari.

The farmer had gone to his fields on Sunday morning, but did not return till late.

Later, his body was found hanging from a tree in his fields.

The victim, father of three children, owed Rs 5 lakh to a nationalised bank for a crop loan and an equal amount to his arhtiya.

Suraj Bhan’s elder brother Karambir Singh said his brother owned 4.5 acres of land and had taken another 4.5 acres on lease for annual rent of Rs 45,000 per acre.

He had been running from pillar to post for special girdawari ever since his crop was damaged to the extent of 75 per cent.

Karambir Singh said that on Saturday, he had harvested his crops on 4.5 acres through combine harvester and was to harvest the rest on Sunday.

“The total yield of wheat, which is still lying on the fields, is hardly five to six quintals per acre. In normal times, he had been getting a yield of 22 to 24 quintals per acre,” he maintained.

“He seemed too much distressed when I called him yesterday, because even the Kharif crop of rice had not fetched remunerative prices. I told him not to lose heart, as things may improve next time, but I never thought he would take such an extreme step,” said a grief-stricken Karambir Singh.

Hari Om Bishnoi, Tehsildar of Tohana, however, maintained that the loss of crop was less than 25 percent and hence it did not deserve any compensation.

“When we have assessed loss of other farmers of his village where it was more than 25 per cent, what problem did we have in including his name for compensation?” Bishnoi asked.