india

Updated: Mar 24, 2019 18:32 IST

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Sunday ordered for a probe into the issuance of an inflated power bill to a farmer who allegedly in protest consumed poison in the office of Central Zone Power Distribution Company in Bhopal on Saturday, officials said.

The condition of farmer Awadh Narayan Sisodia, 48, a resident of Behta village of Bhopal district is stated to be critical, according to police.

Chief minister Nath asked the district collector, Bhopal to probe into the matter so that action is taken against if they are found guilty.

The CM also asked the power department’s principal secretary to direct the company’s officers across the state to act swiftly on the farmers’ complaints related to inflated bills.

In a note, Sisodia blamed the officers and employees of the power distribution company for the inflated bill and his taking the extreme step, said police.

Police inspector Ajay Mishra said, “Sisodia in his two-page suicide note addressed to chief minister Kamla Nath shared his ordeal. Sisodia said he had installed a motor of five horsepower on his agricultural land two years back. He is paying Rs 2,000 per month. In January, he received an inflated bill of Rs 1.2 lakh.”

“Sisodia said he had been requesting officers concerned to rectify the mistake and release a revised bill for the past two months but no one heard his plea. According to Sisodia, the company snapped his power connection a few days back whereupon Sisodia came to the power distribution company’s office on Saturday for the same but didn’t receive any response, he consumed poison,” said Mishra.

Refuting the allegation that an inflated bill was issued the power distribution company’s assistant engineer Anil Verma said, “The connection was snapped as the bill of Rs 65,000 was pending in the farmer’s name. We asked him to pay the bill in installments and that the power connection would be resumed after his paying first installment but he didn’t agree.”