Post News Network
Soro/Bargarh Nov 15: Even as drought in most parts of the state has been a major cause of concern for famers, there is no let-up in farmer suicides. Adding to their casualties, two more farmers allegedly committed suicide in Balasore and Bargarh districts Sunday.
A report from Soro in Balasore district said Paramananda Ghadei (62) of Nuagaon in Dahisada panchayat committed suicide by jumping before a moving train at Nuagaon level-crossing in the wee hours Sunday.
According to reports, Paramananda had cultivated five acres of land while paddy in three acres was damaged due to deficit rainfall. Paramananda’s family said he was under strain due to a loan burden which finally drove him to take the extreme step.
His wife Rajani said the farmer had taken a loan of `50,000 from Utareswar cooperative society, apart from borrowing another `50,000 from moneylenders to raise crops. In the wee hours Sunday, Paramananda had a quarrel with some family members over the loan and left the house.
Locals found his body lying on the railway tracks and informed the family. Balasore Government Railway Police seized the body and sent it to the district headquarters hospital for post-mortem.
A report from Bargarh said Tarani Bariha (45), a landless tribal farmer of Biripali under Sohela block, allegedly committed suicide in his farmland Sunday. The poor farmer is survived by his elderly parents, three children and wife. He was under stress after the paddy he had cultivated on 1.5 acres of land on a share-cropping basis was damaged due to scant rainfall, Tarani’s wife Subuni said.
He had expressed his inability to pay the readmission fee of `2,000 for their son, who is studying Plus II, Subuni added.Saturday evening Tarani had gone to the farmland to spray pesticide. On returning home, he complained of stomach pain and was immediately admitted to the local hospital where he died. Subumi suspects that her husband might have consumed pesticide.
Bhatli MLA Sushant Singh and BDO Biswajit Mohapatra visited the farmer’s house. A compensation of `10,000 was provided to the bereaved family from the Red Cross fund. Police registered a case of unnatural death in this regard. Post-mortem of his body was conducted at the district headquarters hospital.
