A farmer ended his life in the Kuttanad region here on Saturday allegedly due to financial problems as he did not get payment for paddy procurement.
K G Prasad, a paddy farmer hailing from Ambedkar Colony in Thakazhi in Alappuzha, had consumed poison on Friday night, police said. Though he was admitted to a hospital in Thiruvalla, he died in the wee hours of today, they added.
Though police are yet to confirm if he took the extreme step due to the financial crisis, Prasad's friends and other farmers alleged that he ended his life as he failed to get money from the government for the paddy he procured.
In a purported letter written by the deceased farmer, he alleged that the state government and some banks were responsible for his death.
The letter was shown by some television channels in the morning.
A farmer here told reporters that though Prasad had procured paddy, the government didn't give him payment for that and instead of that he received the amount as loan.
"The state government should have paid this loan amount to the bank but they failed to do it. Naturally it lowered the CIBIL score of Prasad. When he recently approached banks for a loan, the bank authorities denied him the amount citing his low CIBIL score," the farmer, close to him, said.
However, a police officer said they were yet to confirm if the financial crisis was the reason for the farmer taking the extreme step.
"As per the statement we received (from relatives), a person who was very close to him died recently and Prasad was depressed due to his unexpected demise," he told PTI.
The officer also said they were yet to verify the letter and a purported telephonic conversation by Prasad holding the state government as responsible for his extreme step.
Meanwhile, the death of the paddy farmer triggered a political row as Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan came down heavily on the LDF government over the issue.
While Khan said farmers have been facing a huge crisis in the southern state, Satheesan said the government desperately failed in paddy procurement and payment was due for months.
"Those who have been serving this state all their life, their pensions are stopped. People who are in active service, their salaries have stopped. But those who have worked for two years as personal staff of the ministers, they are receiving all the money," the Governor told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
This is the way this is working, he said.
"They are spending money on celebrations. If the poor farmer...poor woman who is on the rolls of the social welfare department is not the priority of the government, what can I say? The people of the state will take notice of it," he added.
Raj Bhavan sources said Khan would visit Prasad's family later in the day.
Agriculture Minister P Prasad was abroad and was not available for comment.
Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil said he would respond later after collecting details.
