A 19-year-old youngster, son of a farmer, on Thursday attempted suicide by consuming pesticide in protest when the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT), Kota squad, went to start construction work for the Northern Bypass project on the land acquired from the farmer .
The farmer, Ghanshyam Meena (58), is demanding land in exchange for land and not monetary compensation.
The incident took place at Brijeshpura village in Tehsil Ladpura, Kota district, when the UIT squad accompanied by police went to Ghanshyam’s field to start construction work. More than 11 beeghas (2 hectare approximately) of agricultural land has been acquired from Ghanshyam.
When Ghanshyam, his sons and other family members resisted, the police allegedly used mild force on them after which Ghanshyam’s younger son, Anil Meena, consumed pesticide, which he was spraying in the agricultural field.
Anil was taken to the Government Maharao Bhim Singh (MBS) Hospital where he is recovering.
Sources said that land from 263 farmers in Kota and Bundi had been acquired in May 2013. Initially, 70 farmers refused to accept compensation cheques, but later the reluctant farmers, except Ghanshyam, accepted compensation after it was increased from Rs 4.20 lakh per hectare to Rs 24 lakh per hectare.
Ghanshyam and his family had carried out protests in December last year and his elder son, Ashok, had also consumed poison then. He survived the suicide bid.
{{/usCountry}}Ghanshyam and his family had carried out protests in December last year and his elder son, Ashok, had also consumed poison then. He survived the suicide bid.
{{/usCountry}}When asked about their demand, from Ghanshyam and his son Anil said, “Our family is not satisfied with the compensation for our agricultural land, so we want land instead of monetary compensation.”
“UIT, Kota, is giving us Rs 60 lakh compensation for nearly 2 hectares of land, whose market price is in crores. So the compensation is not sufficient to buy more agricultural land in our village,” they said.
Former Congress minister Bharat Singh met Ghanshyam’s son Anil in hospital on Thursday and sought information on the case.
Meanwhile, secretary of UIT, Kota, Anandilal Vaishnav said that all other farmers have taken compensation but only Ghanshyam’s family is not ready to accept it.
The Rs 121 crore Northern Bypass project, sanctioned in 2011, will connect Kota-Sawai Madhopur Mega Highway to NH 76 in Kota.