In another such incident, a landless farmer, Dhanurja Ropi, of Sardhapur village under Ghantiguda gram panchayat in Nuapada district committed suicide consuming poison.
Ropi consumed poison on Friday and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital at Khariar. He died on Saturday.
Family members said he was under stress since his paddy was damaged completely due to scanty rail fall and cotton devastated for pest attacks.
Dhanurja had cultivated paddy in two acres of Government land. He is yet to get the entitlement of that land under FRA although he claimed it long ago. He had taken two acres of land on lease for cultivation of cotton. “He took loan for cotton cultivation from a moneylender and was under stress for a few days as moneylender insisted on repayment of loan,” said a villager.
Dhanurja did not get any input subsidy from the Government for loss of paddy as he was yet to be allotted the land.
Notably, crops in Sardhapur village have been severely affected due to drought this year. “SRC Bishnupada Sethi had visited Sardhapur and seen the damages recently. Has the Government planned anything for landless farmers like Dhanurja, who are cultivating Government lands for several years and are waiting for entitlement,” wanted to know BJP Krushak Morcha district president Sanjay Tiwari.
