Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Thursday demanded a fair, impartial and high-level inquiry into the alleged suicide of a farmer in Nuapada district, holding administrative lapses in paddy procurement responsible for the tragedy.
The Opposition party also sought strict action against officials allegedly responsible for the incident and urged the state government to provide immediate compensation to the bereaved family. It further demanded a government job for an eligible member of the deceased farmer’s family, free education and financial assistance for the farmer’s children up to higher education. The BJD called on the government to extend the paddy procurement period to ensure that no farmer is deprived of selling produce and to immediately lift all paddy stocks lying in mandis across Nuapada district. It also said the government and procurement agencies should assume full responsibility for the storage, lifting and transportation of paddy.
A BJD delegation, led by former minister and party vice-president Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, visited the family of the deceased farmer, Nepal Majhi of Goleipada under Jada munda village in Komna police station limits of Nuapada district, to express condolences and assess the situation. Das Burma alleged that Majhi was driven to take the extreme step because of severe mismanagement in the paddy procurement system. He claimed that despite possessing a valid procurement token, the farmer was unable to sell his paddy due to administrative failure. According to the BJD delegation, Majhi had cultivated paddy on three acres and groundnut on two acres during the current Rabi season. He had received a procurement token May 30 to sell 36.96 quintals of paddy.
However, even 24 days after receiving the token, his produce had not been procured, leaving him under severe mental stress. The party alleged that Majhi, along with several other farmers, had staged a protest outside the Civil Supplies Office (CSO) demanding the lifting of paddy stocks from the man dis. Despite repeated appeals, the administration allegedly failed to respond to the farmers’ grievances. BJD leader Das Burma said the prolonged delay in procurement compounded the farmer’s financial burden, as he was already struggling with debt and family responsibilities.
Under mounting pressure, Majhi allegedly consumed poison Monday afternoon, resulting in his death. During its visit, the BJD delegation also inspected paddy procurement centres at Jada munda, Dharambandh, Mota Nuapada, Beltukuri and other locations. The delegation claimed that farmers at these centres complained of serious irregularities in paddy procurement and deficiencies in the mandi management system. The party alleged that procurement of Rabi paddy in Nuapada district commenced more than 20 days behind schedule, causing widespread hardship. It claimed that nearly five lakh quintals of paddy are currently lying in mandis across the district, forcing farmers to wait for extended periods to sell their produce.
