Chhattisgarh Farmer Battles for Life After Pesticide Consumption Over Paddy Token Failure
A 40-year-old tribal farmer from Chhattisgarh's Korba district is currently fighting for his life in hospital. He allegedly consumed pesticide after repeatedly failing to obtain an online token required to sell his paddy crop through the state procurement system.
Administrative Action Follows Distressing Incident
The district administration has taken swift action following this serious incident. Korba collector Kunal Dudawat suspended patwari Kamini Kare with immediate effect. The collector also issued a show-cause notice to Hardi Bazar tehsildar Abhijit Rajbhanu for supervisory failures.
An inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the matter thoroughly. Further administrative action will depend on the findings of this committee.
Farmer's Struggle with Flawed System
The farmer, identified as Sumer Singh Gond, owns three acres and 75 dismil of agricultural land in Korbi Dhatura village. Despite producing over 68 quintals of paddy this season, he could not sell his crop because no token appeared in his name on the state's online procurement portal.
According to family members, the problem began during crop inspection. The patwari allegedly recorded a different crop under the khasra number where Sumer had actually cultivated paddy. This mismatch in revenue records meant his paddy was not correctly reflected in the online system.
The situation worsened because Sumer does not own a mobile phone. Villagers reported he had to make multiple trips just to check token status or seek assistance. He reportedly approached both the patwari and tehsildar several times before submitting a formal application to correct his land and crop records.
System Breakdown and Desperate Act
Compounding these difficulties, the facility to generate online tokens was temporarily stopped from January 7th. This closure further narrowed options for distressed farmers like Sumer.
Late on Sunday night, a frustrated Sumer allegedly consumed pesticide kept at his home. His wife Mukund Bai described hearing the sound of a glass falling around 1 am. "When I went there, I realised he had drunk pesticide," she told reporters. "With the help of neighbours, we took him first to the health centre and then he was referred to the medical college hospital because his condition was serious."
Doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital are treating Sumer, whose condition remains critical.
Political Reactions and Systemic Issues
The incident has triggered significant concern within the administration once reports emerged of a farmer attempting suicide over token-related issues.
State minister Lakhan Dewangan acknowledged the farmer's landholding had been incorrectly reduced in records during girdawari. "He had applied to the tehsildar for correction of the record. When that did not happen, the farmer took this extreme step," the minister stated.
Korba Congress MP Jyotsna Mahant visited the hospital and met with Sumer Singh on Monday. She listened to his account and that of his family before speaking to media. "There is complete chaos at paddy procurement centres," she asserted. "Records are not being corrected, tokens are not being issued, and farmers are not being heard anywhere. The government's claims exist only on paper."
Broader Implications for Procurement System
Under Chhattisgarh's online system in Korba district, farmers must obtain digital tokens before selling paddy at designated procurement centres. In Sumer's case, officials noted that the combination of incorrect crop entries in records and the temporary halt in token generation created an impossible situation.
The sub-divisional officer's report indicated the suspended patwari did not conduct proper field inspection and verification during online mapping of several farmers' land. This administrative failure left multiple cultivators unable to sell their paddy at procurement centres.
This distressing episode highlights significant challenges within the agricultural procurement system. It raises urgent questions about administrative responsiveness and support mechanisms for farmers navigating digital systems.
