3 officials suspended in farmer suicide case

Varanasi, Aug 12 (UNI) Three officials, including a Village Development Officer (VDO) and Village Panchayat Officer (VPO) have been suspended for 'desertion of duty' in the recent incident of a farmer poisoning himself and two minor children to death in Chahi village here.

District Magistrate Rajiv Agrawal told newspersons here today VPO of Chahi village Uma Kant Pandey, VDO Brijesh Kumar Singh and Lekhpal Somaru Ram have been suspended with immediate effect for dereliction of duty in the incident.

''These officials have been found guilty of reaching the spot only after the sub-divisional magistrate reached the village,'' Mr Agrawal added.

Chote Lal had on Wednesday poisoned himself and two minor children Kaushalya (11) and Dayalu (7) to death in the Chahi village.

An ex-gratia of Rs four lakh has already been provided to the farmers widow from the Chief Minister's discretionary fund, Mr Agrawal said.

The DM shifted focus on diarrhoea outbreak in the city admitted of three deaths due to the water borne disease in the Adampura ward since August 6 and said 210 patients were reported at the District Hospital, out of which 51 were admitted and 10 of them were still under treatment.

''The disease is under control now and round-the-clock medical assistance is being provided in the affected localities,'' the DM said.

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