Bhubaneswar, Oct 11: The state government Saturday sought reports from collectors on alleged suicide of two farmers in Bolangir and Sambalpur over crop failure due to deficient rainfall.
‘‘I have asked the collectors of Bolangir and Sambalpur to probe the circumstances under which the farmers committed suicide,’’ Agriculture minister Pradeep Kumar Maharathy said expressing grief over the incidents. He said he came to know about the farmers’ suicide from media reports and has asked the district agriculture officers to visit the houses of the farmers.
A report from Bolangir said Bhakta Dharua under Patnagarh sub-division allegedly committed suicide after being unable to bear the debt burden. Dharua’s body was found hanging on a tree Friday. Dharua’s wife said her husband had taken a loan of Rs 17,000 at 11 per cent interest from a bank in 2000. The money was utilised for purchase of a water pump. However, unable to repay the loan in the stipulated time, he was served a notice by the bank. Dharua, who was cultivating 4 acres of land on share basis, also suffered due to crop loss, his wife said, adding that he was under severe mental stress which drove him to hang himself from a tree.
Police have seized the body. ‘‘We demand immediate assistance to the family,’’ said BJP state president K V Singhdeo who visited the house of the farmer. The farmers wing of state BJP also submitted a memorandum to Governor SC Jamir seeking his intervention in the matter.
In another such incident, farmer Sanatan Mirdha of Jharjhari also allegedly committed suicide over crop loss in Sambalpur district Saturday. The relatives of the deceased have alleged that unable to cope with the stress due to crop loss, Mirdha took his life.
Family members said Mirdha had cultivated paddy on three acres of land. However, the crop yield was poor due to inadequate rainfall. Sanatan had taken debt of Rs 40,000 from private persons for paddy farming. Seeing no other way to repay the debt due to crop loss, he hanged himself near his house, family members said.
“Farmers’ suicide is not new to the state. This year’s drought in the state has worsened the situation. But the government is yet to provide any assistance to the drought-hit farmers,” Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said. The farmers of Jeypore have not yet received their money after selling paddy at the market yards, he added.
