Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 26 (IANS): A farmer got Rs 515 relief after submitting an application to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during his statewide tour.

The farmer from Iritty in Kannur, which is the home district of the CM, had in November submitted his application for relief to Vijayan’s team of state government officials who were collecting representations from people.

The poor farmer’s representation was that he had taken a loan of Rs four lakh to renovate his house and was finding it tough to repay and gave an application for some relief.

When the yatra left Kasargod, CM Vijayan had pointed out that all the representations will be looked into and a solution will be found in a matter of two weeks to 45 days.

And eagerly waiting for a relief, the farmer was startled to find out the reply he got on his application a few days ago from the Kerala Bank. The reply said that he has been given a relief of Rs 515 and will remit the balance due of Rs 3,97,216 latest by December 31.

State Congress vice president V.T. Balaram, a former legislator said this poor farmer had to forgo his day’s work as a labourer where he earns Rs 1,000 to submit his application, and what he got was a relief of Rs 515.

Incidentally, the Congress-led opposition has slammed the statewide tour of Vijayan.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statewide luxury bus trip with his cabinet touching all the 140 Assembly constituencies that began from Kasargod ended here on Saturday.

Named as the ‘Nava Kerala Yatra’, Vijayan and the ruling Left claimed it was a huge success, while the opposition termed it as the ‘last’ trip of a Communist government in India, but on Tuesday the travails of a poor farmer in Vijayan’s home district Kannur has become the butt of jokes.