The Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), a body fighting for farmers’ cause, launched hunger strike demanding compensation to the kin of the deceased farmers who have committed suicide due to crop loss and debt burden and pension for farmers here at the lower PMG on Friday.
On the first day of the strike, NKS State coordinator Akhaya Kumar protested the apathetic attitude of the State and Central Governments towards peasants.
Earlier on February 18, the farmers’ body had already organised a Padayatra and Samavesh to mount pressure on the Government.
NKS State Co-coordinator Seshadev Nanda said the State Government is planning for Bullet train and Smart City, but couldn’t stop farmers’ suicides. He lamented that while Gujarat and Maharashtra have admitted the distress situation prevailing in farming sector and accepted farmer suicides as a result of this, the Odisha Government is not prepared to accept that farmers are committing suicides.
“We are for implementation of a pension scheme for farmers, payment of compensation to the kin of the farmers who committed suicide,” demanded Akhaya Kumar.