Patna: Agrarian distress deepened in Bihar with the state recording its fourth farmer death here on Friday sparking angry protests from villagers who demanded intervention of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Farmer Kaushal Kishore who was participating in a protest along with others in Bihta for the past nearly a fortnight, died in a private hospital in the state capital today, District Magistrate Abhay Kumar Singh told a news agency.
Irated villagers held protest and blocked the arterial Patna-Aurangabad road with the body, demanding visit of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to the spot.
The DM said he along with Senior Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana and Danapur Sub-Divisional Officer Rahul Kumar were holding talks with the protestors to lift the blockade.
Kaushal Kishore is the fourth farmer to lose his life in the state due to agrarian related woes in the state in recent days.
A 50-year-old farmer had allegedly committed suicide by taking some poisonous substance along with his wife due to financial distress at Chachaul in Patna district on May 19 evening.
His wife is still in hospital.
A farmer had jumped to death from the roof of his house in Khijrisarai in Gaya district last week due to financial distress.
Earlier, another farmer had lost life in Maner in Patna district.
Kaushal Kishore was among farmers who were holding protest at Bihta in support of their demand for immediate payment of compensation against their land acquired for industrial purposes in 2007.Patna DM said the district administration has received Rs 67 crore for payment of compensation to the farmers and "we will start distribution of money in a short period of time."
The deceased farmer was among others who had gone to hold protest at the office of Circle Officer yesterday where his health deteriorated.
The DM said he was taken to Patna Medical College and Hospital and from there to some private hospital where he died later.
BJP has attacked the Nitish Kumar government over death of farmers in the state.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Drinking Water Ramkripal Yadav, who is also local MP of Bihta area, have met families of deceased farmers in Bihta and Gaya.
The Bihar government recently formulated a scheme for families of farmers taking thei lives due to distress.
Under the scheme effective from April 1, 2015, kin of the deceased would get Rs 4 lakh, widow pension for the wife and Rs one lakh to settle loan of such farmers.
