Tilakram Kuanr (70), a resident of Mendra village under Hemgiri Block in Sundargarh district, would be having a decent income from farming if he had all the land that was with him two years back.
However, he was made a victim of malice and deceit of land brokers and lost his land to a mine. A man who could proudly employ several persons on his agricultural land is now reduced to a daily wager. The compensation he got in lieu of his land was meager.
Tilakram was owner of 22 acres of land. But he lost it all due to the cheating of land brokers. His land was taken away at throwaway prices. If he had been properly compensated he would have got crores of rupees. But he had to remain content with just `14 lakh. Since he has left with nothing after the land was sold away, Tilakram has deposited the money for his heirs and is now maintaining his family out of earning from daily labour.
Tilakram is not alone battling with penury but there are scores of others in his locality who are facing a similar fate and finding it difficult to arrange two square meals daily for their family members.
The other members of Tilakram family are his wife, two sons and four grand children. The family was sufficient with the output of agriculture as entire family was engaged in paddy, millet and vegetable production throughout the year, when they had their land.
However, the family had to be displaced as its land was coming under the Bhusan coal mines area. In a deceitful manner, one his relations succeeded to grab his six acres of land. And taking advantage of his innocence, some brokers preyed on him and swindled him of his compensation. Without residing in the rehabilitation colony, Tilakram is now staying at Kendudihi Panchayat and maintaining himself doing a share-farming of 0.05 acre patch of land.