Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): In a shocking incident that unfolded during a public hearing in Mandsaur, a farmer's desperate plea went unanswered, leading to the suspension of a handloom department official.
The incident, which took place on July 16, saw farmer Shankarlal, 65, rolling on the ground to draw attention to his grievances, only to be ignored by a government official present.
According to information, during the public hearing on Tuesday, Shankarlal, a resident of Sakhtali village under Sitamau tehsil, resorted to rolling in the veranda to protest the lack of action on his complaint.
Rajesh Vijayvargiya, a Grade III assistant in the handloom department, was seen in a viral video walking alongside the distressed farmer without offering any assistance.
Official response
Collector Dilip Kumar Yadav, upon reviewing the video, deemed Vijayvargiya's behaviour as insensitive and suspended him on Thursday.
In his order, the collector highlighted that Vijayvargiyaís failure to stop the farmer and bring him before the collector demonstrated a lack of sensitivity and responsibility expected from a government servant. The incident tarnished the image of the administration, prompting the suspension under Civil Conduct Service regulations.
Administrative actions
During his suspension, Rajesh Vijayvargiya's headquarters will be the office of district panchayat Mandsaur. The order emphasised that government servants must exhibit sensitivity and humanity, especially in cases involving public grievances.
Farmer's long-standing issue
Farmer Shankarlal Patidar has been seeking resolution for his land dispute for 14 years, having attended more than 25 public hearings. Despite sending his complaint to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) and Prime Minister's Office (PMO), his issue remained unresolved. He alleged that his agricultural land in village Surkheda was fraudulently transferred to the name of Ashwini Deshmukh by Babu Deshmukh, an official in the collector's office.
Official clarification
Sitamau tehsildar Manoharlal Verma clarified that the land in question was jointly owned by the applicant and his family members, who sold and transferred it in 2010-11. The farmer is now claiming possession of the already sold land.
