Farmer's suicide and subsequent death echoes in Maharashtra legislature

Mumbai: The death of farmer Madhav Kadam last week after he attempted suicide outside Mantralaya echoed in the state legislature on Monday.

While opposition leaders moved an adjournment notice, Shiv Sena MLA from Nanded South Hemant Patil said it was a shameful incident for the party as it sat in power.

Patil said 24 year old Jadhav was a Sena party activist. "In December too, he had attempted suicide. It is shameful for me that I am an MLA from the ruling party," he said, adding the drought alleviating measures are not being properly implemented.

Opposition leader in the legislative council, Dhananjay Munde said that a case should be filed against the government for causing his death. "The farmer had been meeting ministers and officials to claim his compensation, but the government didn't help him," said Munde.

Revenue minister Eknath Khadse said that he was a small time framer with just over 1 hectare of land in Loha village of Nanded. He was given a compensation of Rs 4624 in January itself. "He had tired to commit suicide even in December and so the police was keeping a watch over him. He was included in the beneficiary list of the food safety plan so that his family got food grains at nominal rate," said Khadse.