Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday said that action will be taken in farmer suicide case and he will also talk to the Central government regarding the case.
“I also belong to a farming family. I know what the problems are. I join in grief with the family of the farmer who took his life. I will take up the issue with both the Centre and the state,” said Khan reacting to the suicide of 55 year old farmer K.G. Prasad.
Prasad committed suicide on Friday night and breathed his last on Saturday morning. He also released an audio message before taking the poison. He was taken to the state run Medical College hospital at Alappuzha on Friday night.
“The state government is solely responsible for my death,” read his suicide note and further adds that he has failed, despite doing his best as a farmer.
One of his relatives said that they had taken Prasad to a hospital in Alappuzha but the hospital authorities told them that the hospital did not have the required life saving equipment.
“We then took him to a private hospital and soon he was put on ventilator support, but on Saturday morning he breathed his last. He did not get the desired medical attention at Alappuzha,” said his relative.
Leader of Opposition V.D Satheesan said they have on numerous occasions warned the Vijayan government both inside and outside the assembly that the agrarian sector has to be handled seriously.
“The government has miserably failed to handle the payment of money to the paddy farmers leaving them in dire straits as the loans of the farmers turn NPA due to callous attitude of the state government. Prasad is the latest example of being a victim of the Vijayan government and his suicide note is clear and if this is going to be the way, then more farmer suicides can happen,” said Satheesan.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R Anil said that the state government should not be blamed for any lapse in the case. “At the moment, I do not wish to add anything more about this case,” said Anil.
–IANS