Even as the State Government had on Wednesday announced a drought relief package for 15 drought-hit districts, including Bargarh, a farmer of Malamunda village under Gaisilat block in Bargarh district committed suicide by consuming pesticide on Thursday.
Notably, the district’s Bijepur Assembly constituency is going for a by-election soon.
Indra Bariha ended his life due to loan burden. He had taken loans from different financial institutions for cultivation. However, he was under pressure as he lost crops and the loan burden mounted on him, said his family members. He died in a hospital while undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Damodar Rout directed the Bargarh district administration to conduct a probe into the suicide of the farmer and submit a report by Thursday evening.
However, the BJP in reaction to the incident said despite the announcement of drought relief package, the Chief Minister has not been able to earn the faith of the farmers; rather he has betrayed them. This has been proved by the farmer’s suicide in Bargarh.
The package is a copy paste of the 2015 drought package. It is totally insensitive and anti-farmer. Rather it is a move by the Chief Minister to hide his loopholes, alleged BJP State spokesperson Sajjan Sharma in a Press conference here on Thursday.