BARGARH:ADDING to the number of suicides by farmers, one more case has been reported from Bargarh on Saturday where Dhanpati Biswal of Gaisama village under Bargarh block ended his life by consuming pesticides. He took the extreme step allegedly due to crop loss and loan burden. The 70-year-old-farmer had consumed the pesticide on May 31 and was admitted to VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla where he died late on Friday.
According to sources, Biswal owned half an acre of land and had taken four and a half acres of land on lease. He had cultivated brinjal over the half acre and rabi paddy in 4.5 acres of land. He had taken private loan of around `1.5 lakh for cultivating crops and had hoped to repay it after harvesting the crop. Unseasonal rain, coupled with hailstorm, damaged the crop pouring water over his hopes of earning good returns. On the other hand, pest attack by Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) during last kharif season while his rabi paddy crop also got damaged due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm. Dhanpati was under severe mental duress due to crop loss and loan burden, said family members. Bargarh Sub-Collector Biswajit Mohapatra denied the allegation of suicide due to crop loss. “From primary investigation, it has been found that he consumed poison due to family dispute”, he said.
On Tuesday, another farmer Gobardhan Barik of Julat village under Barpali block, died after consuming pesticide. His family members said the 40-year-old farmer had cultivated paddy in his two acres of land during rabi season and had taken private loan for the purpose. But, unseasonal rain and hailstorm which hit the block on April 30 evening damaged his crop. Gobardhan’s brother Shatrughan Barik said first he had incurred huge loss due to Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) pest attack in the last kharif season. As he was trying to revive things, Gobardhan’s standing rabi paddy crop also got damaged in the unseasonal rain and hailstorm. He was under severe mental stress over repayment of loan, said Shatrughan. In this case too, the district administration denied crop loss as the reason and stated that the farmer took the extreme step due to family dispute.
