Kozhikode: With an elderly man tragically ending his own life following the suspension of his disability pension sparking a heated controversy, the governing body of Chakkittapara panchayat here on Thursday said the panchayat is “not responsible” for the suicide of Valayath Joseph.
The governing body has extended all possible help to Joseph, a 77-year-old physically disabled person after his pension disbursal was affected, it said in a press conference attended by Panchayat president K Sunil, vice-president Chippy Manoj, and standing committee members C K Sasi, and Bindu Valsan.
The High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident that happened on Tuesday and proceeded with a case by making Chakkittapara panchayat secretary and the other respondents. The suo motu case was registered by Justice N Nagaresh on Wednesday.
“The complaint that arose was that the suicide was due to the non-payment of the welfare pension. On November 9, Joseph wrote a letter to the panchayat stating that he would take his own life if he did not get his pension. On the morning of November 10, the panchayat president visited the house. Joseph asked him to arrange work at his home under the MGNREG scheme, as he could not go to other areas to do the MGNREG work. Then, an arrangement was made for him to work on his farm. Last year, he worked for 98 days.
“He got his pension at the end of December. Joseph also received his daughter's pension. However, his daughter has not been with him for the past 13 months. His daughter is in a refugee shelter. The two received a pension of Rs 24,400 last year,” they said.
Joseph had migrated from Kottiyoor in 1984 and took possession of one-and-a-half acres of government land. The Nayanar government gave him the title deed for half an acre. Earlier, too, he had threatened to commit suicide. Then he had demanded that a title deed be given to the land.
Another complaint was that vehicles couldn’t reach his home. A road was constructed exclusively for him at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. He was included in the list of the poorest of the poor, and Rs 4 lakh was given to build a house. Last year, he received Rs 54,000 as pension and MGNREG wages.
“Though Joseph was a Congress worker, Congress leaders did not go and pay respects to him when he died. CPM members were the first to arrive. The pension was sanctioned in 2010. During Oommen Chandy's time, 18 months' pension arrears were held up. It was the Pinarayi Government that paid that pension,” the members of the governing body said.
It was a journalist who wrote the suicide note of Joseph, whose both hands are paralyzed. It should be investigated who wrote the letter. It will be probed as to who abetted the suicide. The panchayat governing body will lodge a complaint with the chief minister," they added.
