The BJD Government here and the BJP Government at the Centre are only shedding crocodile tears over farmers’ suicide to create vote banks, alleged All India People’s Forum (AIPF) on Tuesday.
An eight-member team of the AIPF which visited families of deceased farmers after one year of the suicide incidences made this allegation.
Neither the State Government nor the Union Government is serious to understand why farmers are committing suicide and to take preventive measures, they said.
The team visited Biripalli, Tungibandhli and Churiapalli villages of Sohela block, Temren and Tukula villages of Bhatli Block, Debahal village of Atabira block, Khedapalli village of Baragarh block and Kadalipalli village of Barpali block to know actual ground situation after one year of suicides.
The team found that even as the State Government has been constantly denying that no farmer has committed suicide for crop loss, but in reality, insufficient rains, crop loss, distress crops sale and loan burden were the main reasons behind farmers’ suicides.
Most of the farmers who committed suicide are small and marginal farmers and sharecroppers, the team reported.
Though the Odisha lift Irrigation Corporation (OlIC) has collected crores of rupees from the farmers, yet no irrigation facility is seen in the affected areas.
Most of the farmers have not issued identity cards, as a result, they have been deprived to sell paddy at Mandis and forced to go for distress sale.
The team met mothers and widows of eight deceased farmers during its visit. They are Sukuni Bariha, wife of late Tarani Bariha, Puspanjali Sahoo, wife of late Thikadar Sahoo, Nalini Pradhan, widow of late Bhagirathi Pradhan, Purnima Pradhan, mother of late Bhagirathi Pradhan, Mithila Bag and widow of late Makardhwaj Bag have not been provided widow pension and old age pension.
While the price of fertilisers, seeds and pesticides have increased 10 times, cost of paddy remains stagnant, the team observed.
They demanded that the Government accept farmer suicides and provide adequate compensation to their families, waive loans they had taken from banks and cooperative societies, create irrigation facilities and provide work to each MGNREGA beneficiaries for 200 days.
The team included AICCTU State secretary Mahendra Parida, CSD’s Pradeep Sahoo, INSAF State convenor Narendra Mohanty, researcher Dr Sricharan Behera, social activist Biranchi Bariha and trade union leaders Manoranjan Nayak, Ashwini Padhan and Ekadasia Bhoi.