DHENKANAL: A team of BJP leaders, led by national vice-president of the party's Krushak Morcha, Maheswar Sahoo, on Saturday visited the house of Jaladhar Pradhan, a farmer who had allegedly committed suicide over crop loss and debt burden. Pradhan, a native of Tipoirana village, took the extreme step by consuming pesticide on September 12.
Accompanied by former Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany and district BJP Krushak Morcha president Tarun Patnaik, Sahoo held discussion with Pradhan's family members.
Speaking to mediapersons, he said Pradhan had availed loans for cultivation but due to scanty rainfall and lack of irrigation facilities, he faced crop loss. He further said that State Government should declare Dhenkanal drought-affected. Pany informed that the BJP would block roads at 21 places in the district on September 18 over the issue.