Officials destroying crops video goes viral

RANIPET: Revenue officials in Ranipet district were left red faced when video of the Sholingur Tahsildar overseeing the destruction of standing paddy of an illiterate farmer went viral recently.

The issue pertains to the 2 cents land cultivated by farmers Natarajan in Ozhugur village in Sholingur taluk. It was destroyed to ready the land for provision of patta for two beneficiaries of the local Irula community, sources said. Revenue officials led by Sholingur Tahsildar ordered a tractor to enter the field and destroy the crop in 2 cents as demarcated by officials.

Farmers’ association sources said, “Natarajan, the farmer, had been using the poromboke land to raise paddy for more than 2 generations. He regularly paid the B-memo. The paddy crop would have been harvested in a month, but officials failed to heed his plea.

“Though Natarajan petitioned the Collector for a patta to the land he cultivated, they had no effect as lacking knowledge he failed to mention the survey numbers of the land he wanted patta for,” said Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam district coordinator M Arun Kumar.

Needless to say the incident which was video graphed soon became viral on social and local media due to the respect people have for cultivated crops, which was when officials felt they could face trouble.

An official on condition of anonymity said, “though Natarajan was issued notice to vacate, the Tahsildar should have undertaken the exercise either before he raised the crop or after he had harvested it.”