A farmer suicide case once again has reared its ugly head in Odisha as another debt-ridden farmer allegedly took the extreme step at Gadanrusinghaprasad panchayat under Bhuban police limits in Dhenkanam district on Thursday.
The deceased identified as Jagannath Mohapatra was a resident of Basudeipur.
According to sources, Jagannath used to eke out a living through sharecropping. He had spent lakhs of rupees due to health issues three years back. He had taken loan from a bank and some friends for his treatment.
After his recovery, Jagannath was in stress as he found it hard to repay the loan. That’s why he chose to end his life to get rid of the loan burden, sources added.
Bhuban police seized the body and sent it for post-mortem after a complaint was lodged in this regard.
Last month, a sexagenarian farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide at Nakulguda under Bisingpur police station in Koraput district. The deceased identified as Dambru Harijan became critical after consuming pesticide and was rushed to Boriguma hospital where he succumbed.
It is learnt that flood has ruined crops raised on hectares of land across the state. Vegetables grown in the farmland in Cuttack, Khurda and Puri districts have also been severely damaged due to the flood. Many farmers who have grown seasonal vegetables and paddy after taking loans have incurred huge losses due to the flood.
They had availed loans for cultivation from cooperative societies and banks. After incurring losses, they are staring at uncertainty.