KENDRAPARA: A debt-ridden farmer of Baharasobala village under Mahakalapada block succumbed on Saturday night at a private hospital in Cuttack where he was being treated. He had attempted to commit suicide on November 21.
The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Manas Rout, son of Ganeswar Rout. He had consumed poison on November 21 after suffering huge paddy crop loss owing to pest attack. He was initially admitted to the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapara and later shifted to a private hospital in Cuttack as his condition deteriorated.
Sources said Manas had cultivated paddy on his three acres of land after availing loan of around Rs 50,000 from the village cooperative society, bank and self-help groups to purchase seeds and fertiliser. But the pest attack ruined his hope of maintaining a family of six, including two sons and a daughter, wife and elderly parents. The village money-lender, bank officials and others who had given him loans were putting pressure on Manas to repay the debt amount with interest, said Babaji Rout, a villager.
The deceased’s brother Subash Rout said, “Had there been no pest attack, we would have harvested the paddy within two weeks. But we are groping in the dark now.” He said Manas committed suicide due to crop loss.
Contacted, Kendprara Collector Dasarathi Satapathy said, “I have directed the Deputy Director of Agriculture and Sub-Collector to submit a detailed report on the incident. Necessary steps would be taken to provide assistance to the deceased’s family after the report is received.”
Ganeswar Behera, a Congress leader and former Minister, said the recent spurt in suicide proves that the farmers in the district are in distress. “It is high time the authorities provided succour to farmers who have suffered crop loss as soon as possible,” he added.