THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 57-year-old man hailing from Kilimanoor, whose land was marked to be acquired for Vizhinjam-Navayikulam Outer Ring Road (ORR) construction, died by suicide after the authorities delayed paying the compensation.
K V Giri, who was a local leader of Kerala Congress (B), died by suicide at a parallel college in Puthiyakavu, where he used to take classes, on Wednesday evening. A resident of Choottayil, Giri has been in dire financial straits following his elder daughter’s marriage 18 months ago, family sources said.
The government had taken over the documents from the public, whose land was marked for acquisition, in June 2023. Since the government had virtually taken over the land, Giri could not sell it nor mortgage it. He was also struggling to find funds for the marriage of his younger daughter, which further agonised him, the family sources added.
Shibu Kumar, Kilimanoor convenor of Ring Road Janakeeya Samara Samithi, which has been spearheading agitation demanding adequate compensation, said delay in disbursing compensation claimed Giri’s life.
Shibu said the landowners, who had given their documents to the authorities, were yet to be informed about the compensation they are going to get. “The authorities are tricking people without revealing the compensation amount they have fixed.
However, we got to know that the base value set for the land in Kilimanoor area has been abysmally low. Compounding the woes, the compensation for the buildings to be demolished is being calculated based on the depreciation value, which is not acceptable to us.
We are demanding replacement value for the structures. Giri is a victim of the apathy of the governments and if they do not address the issue properly, people will suffer further,” he said.
Shibu added that many landowners paid advance for purchasing land to construct houses and many of them have lost the amount due to failure in paying the full amount. “There are several people, like Giri, who don’t know what to do. By neglecting their plight, the government is doing them a great disservice,” he added.
The Samara Samithi members on Thursday evening held a protest in front of the Special Tahasildar’s officer at Kilimanoor decrying the stand of the state government. The protestors dispersed after authorities held discussions with them and assured to resolve the issues.
On Monday, the members of the affected families had staged a protest at the collectorate demanding disbursal of compensation before January 31, 2025 and around 25 people had threatened to die by suicide if their demands were not met.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
