A farmer at Kudagunderpur village in Sambalpur district of Odisha allegedly committed suicide following the losses he suffered due to failure in crop and the problems he faced in selling his produce afterwards.
The deceased has been identified as Kaibalya Rohidas.
According to sources, Rohidas was under severe mental stress due to the huge losses he had suffered due to crop failure. The problem was aggravated when he faced difficulties in selling his paddy stock. While he produced 2 quintal paddy in Rabi season, he was given a token to sell only 45 kg of his produce. Later, he suffered a huge loss by selling the remaining of the paddy stock at a very cheap price, sources added.
After running out of options, Rohidas allegedly consumed poison on Wednesday. He was immediately rushed to a hospital at Burla where he breathed his last while undergoing treatment on Friday, sources informed.
"My father suffered Rs 1.5 lakh loss due to failure in crop this season. Later on, he could not sell whatever was produced. He was under severe mental stress," said Dasarath Rohidas, son of the deceased farmer.
"Many farmers suffered crop loss this season due to unexpected rains. Many also resorted to distress selling of paddy. Kaibalya Rohidas might have taken the extreme step under mental stress," said Ashok Nath, president of a local farmers' body.