Concerned over the rising incidents of farmers’ suicide in the State, members of the Utkal Bharat on Wednesday launched a two-day dharna here at the lower PMG.
Party chief Kharabela Swain said that surprisingly, more than 100 farmers have committed suicide, but the State Government is not accepting it. “The Government is saying farmers are committing suicides not because of debt burden or crop loss but due to family problems, mental imbalance and alcoholism. But crop loss and debt burden are the prime reasons behind farmers’ suicide,” said Swain.
The Government should encourage the farmers to go in for commercial crops, he said. The Government should also set up an agriculture university to estimate crop production and its market value, Swain demanded.
The party’s demands also included giving bank loan and Government relief to sharecroppers, completing the ongoing irrigation projects and making agriculture insurance compulsory.
Party secretaries Kamiluddin Ahamad and Banajabasini Tripathy, joint secretaries Sushil Sahoo, Prafulla Dasbabu, Krushnachandra Swain and Amit Patnaik were present, among others.