Baderajpur: Debt-ridden and crop damage pushed a 40-year-old farmer to commit suicide in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon village. Dhaniram Markam was found hanging in the fields on Wednesday.
According to the Baderajpur Tehsildar H.R. Nayak, the farmer was very upset over the loss of his paddy crops and his inability to pay loans.
The Tehsildar said that Markam had 6.72 acres of land and had cultivated paddy spread across 6.54 acres of land which could have yielded him 93 quintals of paddy. But due to Patwari's mistake, the token received by him showed that he would be able to sell only 11 quintals of crops. This prompted the farmer to take such a drastic step. However, the matter will be investigated thoroughly."
The farmer was in huge debt and had taken a loan Rs 61,932 from the bank and some local traders.
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Markam had left home on Wednesday to check on his field — but did not return home. When his family went to the spot, they found him hanging from the tree.
Deceased farmer's wife Sumitra Bai Markam said that Dhaniram's brother had gone to the operator to collect the token of crops which could be sold.
She said, "After learning that this token could yield him only 11 quintals of paddy, he became very upset and was not able to sleep properly. He had also taken huge loan which prompted hin to end his life."
Dhanram is survived by his wife, two daughters and a small son.
