The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought the comments of a petitioner after getting report of the District Collector of Nabarangpur on suicides of two farmers. Petitioner Radhakanta Tripathy had sought the intervention of the apex right body into the negligence of rehabilitation by the district administration of Nabarangpur towards the families of deceased farmers Sunil Sutar and Mrutyunjay Dey in 2013.
Tripathy stated that the families had not been given assistance under the the Indira Awas Yojana. Maharashtra and other Governments have schemes to eradicate incidents of farmer suicide. The Farmers’ Commission has also recommended certain measures to be undertaken by the State Governments. However, Odisha has not adopted any such policy, Tripathy had contended.
Following directions of the NHRC, the Nabarangpur district Collector stated that an inquiry was conducted by Block Development Officers of Umerkote and Raighar on the matter. The report submitted by the Umerkote BDO reveals that an IAY house was sanctioned to the family members of the deceased Sutar in 2007. The beneficiary had completed construction up to roof level.
He further stated that the report submitted by BDO, Raighar reveals that the widow of Mrutyunjay Dey is in possession of an asbestos roofed residential building with three living room and kitchen and the family members of the deceased are not coming under the BPl category for which no benefits under Indira Awas Yojana or MO Kudia Scheme could be sanctioned in her favour as the Gram Sabha could not make such recommendation by giving due consideration to the financial status of the deceased family.
The Collector further stated that no report containing the measures suggested by MS Swaminathan, Chief of National Farmers Commission, has been communicated to the Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Odisha. After considering the report of Collector, the NHRC asked the petitioner for his comments within six weeks along with recommendation of MS Swaminathan to meet the situation.
Notably, according to Swaminathan recommendation, a Social Protection Committee (SPC) should be formed in every panchayat which can help to take proactive action in preventing suicides. Those suffering from extreme depression as a result of crop failure and inability to repay loans should be identified by the SPC and preventive steps should be taken to avoid the extreme event.