September 13, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1424

JODHPUR, Sept 12: Indian farmers living near the heavily-mined western desert border with Pakistan said on Friday that they were suing the state government for failing to compensate them adequately for landmine disasters.

Ram Kumar, vice president of the Rajasthan Farmers Union, told AFP farmers had filed a case against the Rajasthan government in the High Court on Friday.

Thousands of mines were laid by the Indian army during a 10-month stand-off with Pakistan last year after an attack on India’s parliament in 2001.

In December Defence Minister George Fernandes admitted that more than 80 Indian army personnel had been killed in demining operations alone.

A state government official admitted payouts to victims had been “very poor and tardy” because the central government had released just 10 per cent of the 1.52bn rupees it had promised Rajasthan to take care of its landmine disaster bill.—AFP