Even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at a BJD meeting here on Saturday claimed that his Government has taken substantial pro-farmer measures, one more distressed farmer committed suicide in drought-hit Nuapada district in the day due to crop failure and loan burden.
Sahadeb Majhi (45) of Kermeli village Kodameri panchayat ended his life by hanging himself.
Majhi was a sharecropper and had cultivated paddy in 2.5 acres of land. He had borrowed a loan of Rs32,000 from a cooperative bank for the purpose. However, due to scanty rainfall, Majhi suffered massive crop loss.
“After the crop failure, he was under deep mental stress. His failure to repay loan forced him to take the extreme step,” alleged family members.
local Congress workers blocked roads near Haripur Square demanding compensation of Rs10 lakh to the deceased’s family. They withdrew the stir after the Sadar Tehsildar informed that necessary assistance would be provided to the kin of the deceased as per the Government scheme.
A sum of Rs5,000 was paid to Majhi’s family from the Red Cross fund.