![25 Years On, Poor Farmer's Family Struggles to Pay Off Sack of Wheat and Rice, Get Land Back](https://cdn.umatno.info/news/8e/c0/de/8ec0de4db24e94f93686ada067ec7809-b.jpg)
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Jamui: The family of a farmer in Bihar’s Jamui district has been tormented by local moneylenders for 25 years because he borrowed a sack of wheat and rice to feed them.
The story dates back to 1993 when Ramdhani, a resident of Madhopur village under Mathurapur Panchayat of the district, was in a dire need of money and had no option but to seek help from Chandar Das, a local sahukar (money lender).
Ramdhani borrowed a sack of wheat and rice and promised to return the price of grain next year with interest. The sahukar demanded Rs 27, 000 for it which Ramdhani is still struggling with.
“Chandar Das kept pressing for the amount and at last took control of my agricultural land measuring three Kathha. Now after 25 years when I requested him to leave the land, I was asked to pay Rs 4.5 lakh against the principal and accrued interest,” Ramdhani said.
He sought the help of local panchayat, but that made his problem bigger. The panchayat ruled in favour of the sahukar and ordered Ramdhani to forget the land and register it in favour of Ranjit Das, the son of Chandar Das.
Now Chandar has settled outside the state but his daughter- in-law Kanti Devi justified the demand saying, “We have been saying him (Ramdhani) to register the land for so long. This is not today’s story. My father-in-law not only had given wheat and rice but some cash also. How can we leave the land unless he pays our dues? Interest is bound to increase now.”
Bihar food supply minister Madan Sahni has assured to intervene and ordered district magistrate Kaushal Kishore to probe the matter. When contacted, Kishore said the circle officer of Sikandara will go to Madhopur village and meet the family of Ramdhani.
“If the land was grabbed illegally then we will take appropriate action,”he said.
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