Opposition Congress and BJP on Saturday demanded compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of each farmer who committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burden in the State recently.
They made the demand during a discussion on an Adjournment Motion in the State Assembly on Saturday.
Congress member Naba Kishore Das severely criticised the Government for not agreeing to reports that hundreds of farmers have committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burden.
“Farmers are still committing suicide. The Government has completely failed to resolve their problems,” said Das.
He said it is very shocking that the Governor didn’t mention about farmers’ deaths in his speech on the opening day of the Budget Session.
His party colleagues Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Bhujabal Majhi and Subal Sahoo participated in the discussion.
Similarly, BJP members Rabinarayan Naik and Pradip Purohit came down heavily on the Government for not creating adequate irrigation facility and sending back Central teams, who had come to Odisha to assess drought situation.
On the other hand, BJD members refuted the charges and alleged that like the previous UPA Government, the incumbent NDA Government has shown step-motherly attitude to Odisha. It has promptly provided thousands of crores of rupees to West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar but yet to give any assistance to Odisha, they said.
Giving reply on behalf of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Moharathy, School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said no farmer has committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burden.
“A special package of Rs 1,000 crore for farmers was announced on time. To provide more support and resolve farmer problems, an Agriculture Cabinet has been recently formed,” he said.