Official apathy drives farmer to suicide

Driven to despair over official apathy towards the regularisation of his land, despite three years of persistent petitioning, a famer jumped to his death from the second floor of the mini Vidhana Soudha in Ramanagara on Friday.

Gangaiah, 71, was a regular visitor to the various departments in the Soudha, in his efforts to seek a survey of his land in Jalamangala, followed by its regularisation.

On Friday, he had visited  the mini Vidhana Soudha with his petition. Sources said he had “cursed” the officials concerned before jumping from the building. Following his fall, Gangaiah was rushed to a government hospital. “Despite the best efforts of medical staff, however, he died,” sources said.

Gangaiah, who had documents of land measuring 28 gunta in survey number 165 and eight gunta in survey number 149/1, had attempted suicide in 2010 by slashing his wrist,” sources said. Officials had then lodged a complaint and sent  him to jail.

Following his death, a group of farmers protested outside the mini Vidhana Soudha.