As Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was on a visit to Parbhani in Marathwada, four farmers allegedly tried to commit suicide at a government office in the district on Thursday morning, police said. They allegedly wanted to press certain demands they had submitted earlier.

The farmers, who are from Manoli village, allegedly tried to drink a poisonous substance from the bottles they had brought with them at Manvat Tehsildar's office around 10.45 am, said a police official. However, police personnel at the office acted quickly and snatched the bottles away, he said.

Fifteen farmers from Manoli village in Parbhanai in Marathwada had submitted an application to the Tehsildar (local revenue official) on April 10, demanding clean drinking water supply to the village and an enquiry into the alleged irregularities in the Gram Panchayat's affairs and also into the work of check-dam construction in the area. "If these demands are not met, they will commit mass suicide," stated the letter.

All four were taken to a nearby hospital in Manvat and later to the government hospital in Parbhani, the official said.

Dr Naser Sheikh, from the civil hospital, said that all the four farmers — Laxman Shinde, Chandrakant Talekar, Dutta Kadam and Sheikh Shagir — were admitted and three of them are out of danger except Talekar.

"The farmers tried to consume poison but were stopped by the police before they could drink it," said Dilip Zalke, Superintendent of Police, Parbhani.

The chief minister was on an official visit to Parbhani district on Thursday. Some of the farmers union leaders tried to barge into the chief minister's meeting to raise the agrarian crisis issue. However, they were stopped and subsequently arrested.

Dhananjay Munde, Leader of Opposition, State Council, said that it was very unfortunate that the farmers were being forced to end their lives due to the government's apathy. "The BJP-led government is laying the red carpet for corporate and business firms but ignoring their own farmers. The demands of the farmers have been shown the dustbin. The chief minister should initiate action against the government officials who are responsible for this situation," Munde said.

—with agency inputs

UNMET DEMANDS