Protests in Jagtial as ryot ends life

JAGTIAL:   The process of land records purification in Jagtial district, which stood at 99 percent in terms of completion of registrations, hit a roadblock with the revenue officials launching protests after police registered cases against two revenue officials following the suicide of a farmer. A farmer, Manuka Bakkaiah (50) of Mallannapet village, attempted suicide by consuming pesticide at Gollapalli tahsildhar’s office on Tuesday and died while undergoing treatment late Wednesday night.

According to police, Bakkaiah had 13 guntas of land which was registered in the name of his brother during the land purification exercise. Bakkaiah, however, contended that his brother did not pay the money for the land and requested the authorities not to transfer the documents to his brother But his request went unheeded. An irate Bakkaiah allegedly confined local VRO in a room of grama panchayat office. On learning about the incident, police asked Bakkaiah to appear before them on Saturday.

As he did not go, he was summoned again to the police station. Upset over this, he consumed pesticide. Based on a complaint, police registered a case of abetment of suicide against tahsildar Ch Suma Chowdari and Tirumalpur VRO Srilatha. Revenue officials staged a dharna alleging that tahsildar and VRO were falsely implicated in the case.

Supporting the revenue staff, doctors, MPDO office staff and TNGO leaders joined the protest. Erstwhile Karimnagar Revenue Employees Association secretary V Sugunakar Reddy said they would not take up land purification exercise till cases were lifted against the two officials. They submitted a representation to district collector, urging him to ensure peaceful atmosphere for undertaking land purification work.