BHUBANESWAR:
Criticising the State Government for not taking appropriate steps to stop farmer
suicide in the home district of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Pradesh
Congress Committee (PCC) on Saturday said in a memorandum to the Governor that the
farmer suicide has become a regular phenomenon during BJD rule since 2000 in
the State.
The PCC members said that due to
continued neglect of agriculture, the cultivators suffer unspeakable economic
hardship and deprivation. One such tragic incident has .taken place at Erendra village
of Girisola GP under Chikiti Block in Ganjam district on last February 23 this
year. On February 21, Trinath Pradhan (50) belonging to scheduled caste was
forced to take poison to end his life due to mounting mental agonies on account
of debt burden. Apart from Rs 10,000 which he had borrowed from local
Co-operative, there was an outstanding private loan of Rs 50,000 against him,
they added.
The members demanded payment of
an immediate compensation of Rs 5 Lakh to his widowed wife, engagement of his
migrant son Jitendra Pradhan to support family income, sanction of old age
pension for his 75-year-old mother Sadhu Pradhan and disabled pension for his
dependent sister Phula Pradhan who is dumb. They also demanded payment of
additional Rs 300 per quintal for paddy to farmers, reassessment of crop loss
estimate to cover many left out genuine farmers in the district under crop
insurance scheme, Urgent initiatives for interlinking of the river Rushikulya
with the Bansadhara to ensure irrigation facilities in deficient Ganjam
district.
The PCC delegation under the chairmanship
of former Minister Ganeswar Behera, former speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantaray,
met the family on March 6 to take stock of the situation and condole the
bereaved family. The Block Congress Committee of Chikiti staged demonstration
and submitted a memorandum to the Governor through the Tahasildar, Chikiti on
the same day.
No comments:
Post a Comment