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Bhubaneswar: Odisha Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout today said no cases of farmer suicides have been reported so far in the current financial year and the previous one as well.
In a written reply to a question of Congress MLA Bhujabal Majhi, the minister said a total of 11 farmer suicide cases and seven alleged ones were probed in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively. However, the probe report mentions no death related to farming issues.
However, ground realities support the contrary. Family of deceased farmer Hadu Bagarti in Kendpali village of Bargarh district still claims Hadu’s crop on 4.5 acre land was damaged due to lack of irrigation because of a power failure in the area.
"He was under mental stress due to crop loss therefore he committed suicide. The government reports are false," said Hadu's son Ananta Bagarti.
On the other hand, the Agriculture Minister stated in the Assembly that the cause of Hadu's death was not crop loss due to power failure but it was something else.
Similarly, as per the government report, the suicide of Basu Hembram, a farmer of Lembupala village under Kamakhyanagar block of Dhenkanal district, was not because of crop loss or loan burden but family dispute.
Further, the suicide of Brundaban Swain of Nuagaon under Aska block of Ganjam district was also not due to crop loss stated the report submitted in the Assembly. Interestingly, even after eight months, the reason behind Swain's death is still a mystery. The government is still waiting for his post-mortem report.
Not only these three, out of all the farmers who have committed suicide in the last two years, the government claims that not a single death was due to crop loss.
Opposition parties have criticised the government and said the report has been manipulated by the State government to save itself.
"I will term the report as unfortunate. A Collector and SP will never accept a farmer suicide; if the government is not accepting it why will they? We demand that if the government has courage it should conduct a judicial inquiry," said BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit.
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"Even though farmers of Odisha are committing suicides and dying a pitiful death, this government is claiming that farmers have not committed suicide. Nothing is more condemnable and shameful. Why is the government not accepting it?" said Opposition party Chief Whip and Congress Leader, Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
In reply, Rout refuted the allegations and said, "Other than quoting the probe reports submitted to me by the district administration, I don't have any other option. And if you do not believe it and term it as politically motivated and allege that the government is hiding the facts, I cannot answer that."
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