Farmer ends life after rains damage crops

BERHAMPUR: A 50-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticides over crop loss due to unseasonal rain in Ganjam district on Saturday. He was identified as Rajendra Bhuyan of Boulojholi village under Kukudakhandi block. After crops over vast stretches of land were destroyed due to pest attack, intermittent rain since the last four days has aggravated the farm crisis in the district. Sources said Rajendra, a sharecropper, had cultivated paddy over eight acres of land. He had borrowed `2 lakh from private money lenders for cultivation and another `3 lakh for the marriage of his daughter.

Initially, he was hopeful of a good harvest and repaying some of his loans. However, his crop was first damaged by pest attack and later by the untimely rain for the last few days. Rajendra’s wife Kuni said her husband was upset over crop loss and repayment of the loans for the last two days. Rajendra even refused to have dinner on Friday night and after much persuasion, he had his food and went to bed. However, when all members of the family fell asleep, he consumed pesticide, she said and added that on Saturday morning, he was found dead on his bed.

As the news of Rajendra’s suicide spread, hundreds of locals gathered at his house in the village. To avoid any unpleasant situation, police reached the spot and sent the body to MKCG Medical College and Hospital for postmortem.Later, the deceased farmer’s brother Debaraj Bhuyan filed a complaint with the Berhampur Sub-Collector stating that Rajendra was under severe stress following crop loss due to the unseasonal rain. He also appealed for compensation as the poor family of Rajendra is not in a position to repay the loan.

Stating that Rajendra is the ninth victim of the debt trap in the district, Ram Patra of Sardar Vallabhbhai Multi-Purpose Sangh alleged that the callous attitude of the State Government is forcing farmers to end their lives. “So far, the Government has not shown any interest to compensate the kin of the deceased farmers. Rather, the administration is trying hard to attribute the farm deaths to other reasons and not due to debt burden.” While the Sub-Collector assured an enquiry into Rajendra’s death, police have registered a UD case and are investigating the matter.