GAIL should take moral responsibility for the death by suicide of a farmer at Paaparapatty in Dharmapuri and provide compensation immediately, said Dilli Babu, ex-MLA and State secretary the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam.
A day after a 43-year-old farmer died after attending a protest against GAIL’s proposed pipeline on farmlands at Paaparapatty, the Tamil Nadu Vivasayiigal Sangam has alleged the GAIL is as responsible as the district administration for allowing the survey on farmlands. The district had witnessed protests by farmers as revenue authorities along with GAIL authorities commenced land survey for the project.
Mr .Babu, who had held talks with Collector S. Dhivyadarshini on behalf of the bereaved family and the protesting farmers, alleged there was deliberate obfuscation of facts by the Collector. The Collector has since said the pipeline would be laid by GAIL along the boundary of the road and not on farmlands.
However, according to Mr.Babu, GAIL pipelines were proposed to be set 20 ft underground and even to lay the lines, GAIL would require 20 mtrs of buffer zone on either side of the road. “Given that the village roads are narrow and barely three metres, the Collector insisting that the pipelines will be laid along the boundary of the road is a deliberate obfuscation of facts and details, “ Mr.Babu claimed to The Hindu.
Late Wednesday night, amid a huge deployment of police personnel at the protest site, where the famer’s body was kept and roads blockaded by the protesters, the Sangam held talks with the Collector demanding compensation for the family. According to Mr.Babu, the Collector had promised that a letter would be sent to the Chief Minister’s office and compensation would be given. The government would arrange employment for the daughter of the farmer as and when a vacancy arises. The daughter was widowed recently and was supported by her father.
However, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam has demanded that GAIL assume responsibility and provide compensation. “The GAIL authorities were trespassing into the farmlands, causing anxiety among farmers. They cannot escape responsibility,” Mr.Babu said.
(Assistance to overcome suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s Health helpline - 104 - and Sneha - 044-2464 0050.)
