Yet another distressed farmer committed suicide in western Odisha following crop failure due to scanty rainfall and debt burden. Jasobant Pande of Ghusuramunda village of loisingha block ended his life by hanging himself from a tree in his village in the wee hours on Wednesday.
He had taken `50,000 loans from bank and local moneylenders for paddy cultivation paddy in his three-acre land this year. But he was under severe mental stress after he sustained massive crop loss due to scanty rainfall. Sources said a graduate, Pande was looking after his brother and mentally challenged mother after the death of his father last year.
Unable to repay the loan, the Pande took the extreme step, Sumant Pande, relative of the deceased.
With the death of Pande, eleven hapless farmers of Balangir district have committed suicide in the last three months.