POST NEWS NETWORK
Jamankira/Bantala, Nov 28: Two farmers in Sambalpur and Angul districts committee suicide by consuming pesticide over alleged crop loss and debt burden Friday night, police said Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Bhikari Miriga (52) of Kulundi village under Jamankira block of Sambalpur district and Narendra Sahu (55) of Sankhapur village under Bantala police limits of Angul district.
Bhikari Miriga’s death (52) triggered tension in the area as co-villagers and family members blocked National-Highway-53 at Kulundi Square demanding Rs 10 lakh compensation and a waiver of the loan taken by the bereaved family.
They resented as none from the administration tried to meet them even 12 hours after the death. They, however, relented after the tehsildar reached the spot and placated the protestors.
Family members claimed that he went out after dinner but never returned till late in night. They searched for him in the vicinity but failed to trace him.
The matter came to the fore when some villagers noticed him lying dead on his paddy field and informed his family members. They rushed to the spot and found him dead with a bottle of pesticide lying nearby. They informed the police. Jamankira police registered a case and started an investigation.
Sources said Bhikari used to earn his living by farming and had borrowed Rs 38,000 from Kulundi LAMPS and from private money lenders to raise crops over his four acres of land.
He, however, suffered crop loss due to scanty rain. He was under stress thinking to repay the loan. He tried hard to find a way out of the problem but was clueless, they added.
In the second incident, Narendra had borrowed Rs 70,000 crop loan and over Rs 2 lakh from private money lenders for his four acres of farming. He earned his living from cultivation as well as running an eatery with his brother at Sankhapur Square.
He however, was heartbroken after his crops wilted due to scanty rainfall and committed suicide. Tehsildar Rabi Narayan Acharya and agriculture officials visited his house and farmland to probe his death.
