Farmer dies after writing to PM, CM on dues

A 65-year-old farmer, who was supposed to receive over Rs one lakh dues from a sugar factory run by Minister for Municipalities and Local Bodies Ramesh Jarkiholi, died on Sunday after he failed to respond to the treatment provided by the doctors at a district hospital in Belagavi.

The deceased farmer, identified as Shankar Matolli, a resident of Linganmath village in Khanapur taluk, was admitted to the hospital by the district administration on Saturday. However, he could not respond to the treatment as it was too late. Locals charged that the administration delayed in their response, which resulted in this fatality. Assistant Commission Kavita Yogappanavar and revenue officials had visited the farmer’s house recently and shifted the ailing Shankar to the hospital in the city.

It may be recalled here that Shankar and his son Balappa had written a letter to chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days ago complaining about the dues which they were supposed to receive from Soubhagyalaxmi Sugar factory owned by Minister for Municipal Administration and Congress member Ramesh Jarkiholi.

The family members in the memorandum had threatened of en-mass suicide if their dues were not cleared immediately.

According to Balappa, the factory is supposed to pay them Rs 90,000 for transporting sugarcane to the factory and another Rs 40,000 towards the dues regarding the supplied sugarcane.

The son blamed defaulting company for his father’s death. “Had we received that money on time, my father would not have taken such a hard step of fasting,” he said and added that the family did not even have money to provide medicines or food to his father.