Mantralaya suicide: Government to pay late farmer's kin Rs 54 lakh for land

Dharma Patil

The bereaved family of Dharma Patil, an aggrieved farmer from Dhule, who committed suicide at Mantralaya last month, will now get a revised compensation of Rs 54 lakh for his land that was acquired for a solar power park. Sources in the government said the compensation has been revised considering the demand made by the family, especially Patil's son, who also owns a piece of land adjoining his father's. The Dhule district collector submitted a revaluation report to the Energy Department, which will clear the proposal for paying compensation through the state power generation company MahaGenco.

Earlier, Patil was offered R4 lakh for the land acquired, but he contested the claim saying the value of 600 plants, a well, drip irrigation and power connection wasn't considered while calculating the total cost. Patil had been complaining to the government that he was given compensation much less than others, especially a neighbouring farmer, who was given more than R1 cr. And when his pleas did not move the officials and politicians, he resorted to the extreme step. He allegedly consumed a poisonous substance on January 22 and breathed his last on January 28 at a city hospital.

Other farmers too benefit
Sources said the revised compensation will also go to other farmers whose land was acquired for a thermal plant which has been replaced with a solar park. "The collector has sent the principal secretary (energy) a revised valuation of land. An additional sum of Rs 25 crore has been proposed to be given for the 199 hectares that is owned by various farmers. The amount will be given to everyone after subtracting the amount given to them earlier," said a senior government official. This, however, will be a one-off case, and will not be treated as a precedent to be followed in future land acquisitions.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai, National and International news here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go