BHUBANESWAR: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday visited the family of Nuapalli farmer who allegedly committed suicide due to debt burden and crop loss. The deceased farmer identified as Kemsagar Biswal of Bargarh district had taken loan from local money lender for the marriage of daughter. However, he failed to repay the amount due to successive crop failures in the last three years. He consumed poison on February 15 and was admitted to Bargarh district headquarters hospital in a critical condition, family members of the victim told Pradhan.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should apologise to the deceased farmer’s family for his Government’s failure to protect Biswal and other farmers who committed suicide under similar circumstances, he said.