The suicide of a farmer in Kozhikode in protest against the alleged refusal of Revenue Department personnel to collect tax is being deemed as a failure of the administrative system that calls for stringent action.
Administrative Reforms Commission member and former Chief Secretary C.P. Nair called for summary dismissal of the village officer and the village assistant who are responsible for the incident, which he termed as `outrageous.’ There was a constitutional provision for such a model punishment that would act as a deterrent. The officers concerned should be prosecuted for abetment of suicide. Awarding a compensation would not make amends to the loss suffered by the family and such instances should be dealt with seriously so that it would not recur, he said.
Economist and former State Finance Commission chairman M.A. Oommen described the incident as “an anecdotal evidence of a human tragedy enveloping the State.” This was a failure of the rule of law, civil service and administration. This was not an isolated incident and ad hoc or peacemeal solutions would not suffice. A total approach was needed to end the malaise of corruption, Dr. Oommen said.
