Alappuzha: The suicide of K G Prasad, a paddy farmer in Ambedkar Colony in Thakazhi here due to a financial crisis led to a public outcry against the state government on Saturday. In his suicide note, Prasad alleged that the state government and some banks were responsible for his death. BJP activists and natives laid a siege at Thakazhi junction with Prasad's dead body from 3.30 pm accusing the state government of being responsible for the farmer's suicide. Manorama News reported that the activists will disperse from the junction and take the body as a mourning procession to Prasad's house.
Over 100 BJP activists are participating in the protest. The ambulance carrying the farmer's body is parked in the middle of the road blocking traffic. The protest is being held on the Ambalappuzha-Thiruvalla state highway. According to reports, a huge number of vehicles got stuck in the traffic snarl here. BJP leaders including CK Krishnadas and others are addressing the protest.
The deceased farmer who was a BJP activist had consumed poison on Friday night. Though he was admitted to a hospital in Thiruvalla, he died in the wee hours of Saturday.
Prasad's friend Jayakumar told Manorama News that Alappuzha Govt. Medical College Hospital denied treatment for him.
“ We have taken the bottle of the poison when we rushed him to the Govt. Medical College. But the staff there was not ready to give treatment to him claiming that there is no bed available at ICU,” he alleged.
Allegations against state govt
A farmer here told reporters that though Prasad had procured paddy, the government didn't give him payment for that and released the fund as a PRS loan.
PRS loans are given to farmers based on the Paddy Receipt Sheet in lieu of procurement of paddy. The PRS loan is extended by banks after procurement of paddy and the state government repays it later.
"The state government should have paid this loan amount to the bank but they failed to do it. Naturally, it lowered the CIBIL score of Prasad. When he recently approached banks for a loan, the bank authorities denied him the amount citing his low CIBIL score," the farmer, close to him, said.
However, a police officer said they were yet to confirm if the financial crisis was the reason for the farmer taking the extreme step.
"As per the statement we received (from relatives), a person who was very close to him died recently and Prasad was depressed due to his unexpected demise," he told PTI.
The officer also said they were yet to verify the letter and a purported telephonic conversation by Prasad holding the state government responsible for his extreme step.
Meanwhile, the death of the paddy farmer triggered a political row as Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan came down heavily on the LDF government over the issue.
While Khan said farmers have been facing a huge crisis in the southern state, Satheesan said the government desperately failed in paddy procurement and payment was due for months.
"Those who have been serving this state all their life, their pensions are stopped. People who are in active service, their salaries have stopped. But those who have worked for two years as personal staff of the ministers, they are receiving all the money," the Governor told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
This is the way this government is working, he said.
"They are spending money on celebrations. If the poor farmer...poor woman who is on the rolls of the social welfare department is not the priority of the government, what can I say? The people of the state will take notice of it," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
