Bhubaneswar/Nuapada: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has constituted a high-level fact-finding team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a farmer in Odisha’s Nuapada district.
The team will be headed by Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Prasanna Acharya and is scheduled to meet the family members of the deceased farmer Wednesday.
The move comes after Nepal Majhi, 45, of Jadamunda village allegedly died by suic*de after consuming poison Monday. He died while undergoing treatment at a district hospital, police said.
Majhi’s family alleged that he was distressed after being unable to sell his paddy at a government mandi despite receiving a procurement token.
However, Nuapada Collector Madhusudan Dash rejected the allegation and said preliminary inquiries indicated that the farmer took the extreme step following a domestic quarrel.
According to the collector, Majhi had been issued a token to sell 30 quintals of paddy and the token was valid until June 30. He consumed poison June 22, eight days before the expiry of the token, the collector said.
The administration has provided Rs 50,000 in financial assistance to the bereaved family and assured that the farmer’s paddy would be procured before the token expires.
Meanwhile, family members and villagers blocked National Highway-353 at Komna, demanding justice.
BJD vice-president Sanjay Kumar Das Burma alleged that the BJP government had failed to address farmers’ issues, forcing them to take such extreme steps.