Raipur
A 35-year-old farmer climbed a 120-foot high-tension power tower in Kasaundi village on Saturday morning after failing to secure a procurement token for his paddy crop. The district administration and local police are currently engaged in efforts to bring him down safely.
The farmer, identified as Anil Gadhwal, owns 2.77 acres of agricultural land. Sources indicate Gadhwal has already sold 29 quintals of paddy at the Gaud and Dhurkot mandis but has an equal amount remaining. He reportedly took the extreme step after being unable to obtain a token for the sale of the remaining stock.
Upon receiving information, a team led by City Kotwali police and Tehsildar Rajkumar Maravi reached the spot. While officials are attempting to negotiate, Gadhwal has refused to descend until the administration guarantees the purchase of his remaining produce. As a precautionary measure, Home Guard personnel have deployed rescue nets at the base of the tower.
Dhurkot Mandi under scrutiny
The incident has highlighted ongoing irregularities at the Dhurkot paddy procurement centre. The mandi has been at the centre of controversies involving the appointment of staff. Earlier, the state government had directed the suspension of the previous mandi in-charge and ordered a new appointment.
District officials noted that the mandi chairman allegedly bypassed government guidelines and the Mandi Act by appointing two chairmen for a single centre. Despite departmental correspondence to rectify these procedural lapses, no definitive action has been taken so far.
MLA demands immediate resolution
Janjgir-Champa MLA Vyas Kashyap termed the situation a result of administrative negligence.
“The failure to issue tokens to farmers is a serious lapse. I have instructed the officials concerned to ensure the immediate procurement of the farmer’s remaining paddy. The safety of the farmer is the priority, and the administration must resolve this grievance without further delay,” Kashyap said.
The rescue operation was still underway at the time of filing this report.
