BELAGAVI: Bogged down by financial crisis resulting from the non-payment of dues by sugar factories, a farmer in Linganmath village in Khanapur taluk has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, seeking mercy killing for his family.
In the letter, Balappa Shankar Matolli said that non-payment of dues by Shivsagar Sugar Factory in Udapudi in Ramdurg taluk and Soubhagyalaxmi Sugar Factory in Hirenandi, Gokak taluk, has deteriorated his family’s financial condition and made them mentally depressed.
Matolli, who lives with his elderly parents, wife and children, has 4 acres of land in Linganmath. He took Rs 3.5 lakh farm loan from KVG Bank, Rs 1 lakh gold loan from Canara Bank, Rs 2 lakh personal loan from Urban Bank and Rs 1 lakh loan from private moneylenders.
According to the farmer, he has not received the payment of sugarcane supplied to Shivsagar Factory in 2015-16. Matolli added that gave a truck on rent to Soubhagyalaxmi Sugar Factory, owned by minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, in 2013-14 but did not receive payment for the service. Two wells in his farm dried, making his condition unbearable.
Matolli said that his father suffered a heart attack and he had to spend over Rs 4 lakh for treatment in the past two years.
The farmer had to sell his truck. The turn of events rendered him unemployed and he struggled to arrange money for his father’s treatment and daily expenses.
He wrote the letter, seeking mercy killing, on June 9 and posted copies to local MLA Anjali Nimbalkar, the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and the tahsildar.
