Farmer’s bid to kill self at Collectorate foiled

Gadwal: Piqued by the apathy on the part of officials in conducting the survey of his land, a farmer attempted to immolate himself in front of the District Collectorate in Jogulamba Gadwal district on Monday. The police, however, thwarted the attempt and took the farmer into custody.

Bheemaiah Aachary (35), a farmer from Dharur mandal, had made appeals to the officials of Gadwal Survey Department several times to conduct survey of a land under his possession and help him resolve disputes pertaining to 5.02 acres of land. The farmer is understood to have complained to the Revenue officials that his neighbour had encroached upon 2,22 acres out of 5.02 acres of his land.

Though Bheemaiah had made rounds of Mandal Revenue Office and the District Collectorate for the last two years, he could not get relief. It is alleged that the farmers had even paid Rs 30,000 to a surveyor in the hope that the latter would help him. When he approached the District Survey Department officials, he was given a short shrift.

Shocked at the alleged rudeness of the officials, the farmers doused kerosene on his body and set himself ablaze. The police, who were present there, foiled the attempt. Bheemaiah into their custody for allegedly trying to commit suicide.

“The Survey Department officials were give a bribe of Rs 30,000 to conduct the survey, but they continued to harass me for the past two years. The officials on one or other pretext did not conduct survey of my land,” said Bheemaiah.