Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets slain farmers’ families

Bhopal: Nearly a week after six farmers were killed in police firing during the tillers’ stir in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday met the family members of the slain people in their villages.

Mr Chouhan with his wife Sadhna made the tour of two districts of Mandsaur and Neemuch in the Malwa region through a helicopter to meet these people.

While five farmers were killed in the police firing, while one more person died in the baton charge by cops on June 6.

“He will meet the family members of the six slain farmers in the two districts over two days. He will meet the families of five deceased farmers in Mandsaur on Wednesday and those of the other in Neemuch district on Thursday,” a senior officer of Mandsaur district told this newspaper.

Mr Chouhan visited the villages of Badban, Lodha, Pipliya Mandi and Nayakheda in Mandsaur district to express condolences to family members.

He also handed over the documents showing the compensation of Rs 1crore to each of the next kin of the slain farmers, which he said has been transferred to their bank accounts. He will meet the family members of the other deceased in Barkheda on Thursday. Meanwhile, Mr Scindia launched his 72-hour ‘Satyagarh’ to protest the killings.

Almost all the factional leaders in MP Congress joined his satyagrah in a rare of unity in the party.

Another farmer, Ramesh Bisen of Ballpur village in Balaghat district, on Wednesday committed suicide by consuming pesticides as he was “unable to pay Rs 2 lakh farm loan borrowed from a local society”. The police investigation is on.