The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recently directed the Chief Secretary for an action-taken report (ATR) over the alleged farmers’ suicide cases in the State.
Acting on a petition filed by rights campaigner Subash Mohapatra, the apex human rights watchdog has directed the Chief Secretary to submit an ATR within four weeks.
The petitioner alleged that as many as 38 farmers in Jharsuguda and other drought-hit districts in the State had committed suicide in last three months due to crop loss and loan burden.
“The authorities have failed badly to address the issue and prevention of farmers’ suicide. Thus, the State must pay the interim compensation to the next of kin of the deceased farmers, and accountability of the public authorities should be fixed,” Mohapatra stated in the petition.
“The rampant and continuous farmers’ suicide still persists in the State as the administration failed to check illegal money lending in western Odisha,” Mohapatra contended.
Besides, Mohapatra demanded that the State conduct a judicial probe into the matter.