By IANS
Lucknow : The death of a young farmer who set himself ablaze in Bijnore district of Uttar Pradesh Thursday was attributed to rampant corruption in the local land revenue and consolidation offices of the state.
The 30-year-old Ashok set himself on fire before the office of the Bijnore district magistrate after he was made to run from pillar to post for the past one year to ensure proper settlement of a small land holding he owned.
He succumbed to the burn injuries in the Bijnore district hospital Friday.
His wife told a TV channel: “We had given Rs.35,000 bribe to the consolidation officer and the lekhpal (stenographer). Still they were not satisfied and wanted more money.”
Ashok gave up his efforts after he failed to get his grievances redressed even from the district magistrate. He was reported to be under a huge debt after borrowing money to pay the bribes to state government officials.
Meanwhile, the state government has taken serious note of the issue. An official spokesman of the state home department told IANS here: “We are getting the matter probed by higher-ups and we will not allow the guilty to get away with this.”