Former Haryana finance minister Sampat Singh on Sunday termed the death of a critically ill Sonepat farmer, Sanjeet whose family was awaiting permission for manual registration of land to raise funds for his treatment, as a “tragic reflection of governance failure”.

Referring to a June 19 Hindustan Times news-report, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader said Sanjeet’s family had been struggling to arrange money for his treatment and had sought permission under special provisions of the Registration Act to complete the land registration manually so they could sell land and meet mounting medical expenses.

“Instead of receiving timely assistance, the family was forced to navigate official correspondence, procedural formalities and administrative delays. Before the process could be completed, the farmer died,’’ Singh said.

Demanding accountability for the administrative delay, the INLD patron, in a statement, expressed sorrow over the death of Sanjeet, a resident of Kanwali village in Sonepat, who had suffered a severe head injury, underwent two brain surgeries and was bedridden. He said the farmer’s land registration remained entangled in bureaucratic procedures despite repeated requests for special permission.

The former minister said that when a citizen’s life hangs in the balance, humanity must take precedence over paperwork. The incident has exposed the gap between claims of citizen-centric governance and the reality faced by people in distress, he said.

Questioning the delay, Singh asked why the special provisions available under the law were not invoked promptly despite the medical emergency. “If senior officials were aware of the situation, what justified the delay? Why was a humanitarian crisis treated like a routine administrative matter?” he asked.

Singh said the episode highlighted a deeper crisis of accountability and sensitivity within the administrative system. “Rules are meant to serve the public interest and should not become obstacles preventing timely assistance to people in desperate circumstances. The farmer’s death should prompt serious reflection on whether governance is being measured by its ability to protect human life and dignity,’’ he said.