BHAWANIPATNA: Non-payment of subsidy under Jalanidhi scheme prompted a 30-year-old farmer to attempt suicide in Kalahandi district on Sunday. The farmer, Dambaru Podh (30) who belongs to Bahadurpur village under Kesinga block is currently under treatment at VIMSAR, Burla.
Family sources said he was found lying unconscious near the dug well in his farm. He was first rushed to Kesinga community health centre from where he was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital in Bhawanipatna and then to VIMSAR as his condition was critical.
His father, Basudev Podh said three years back Dambaru had applied for a dug well in his farm land under Jalanidhi scheme. He got the work order in February, 2016. Dambaru took hand loans for digging the well, fitting water pumps and other farm implements with a hope that he would get subsidy under the scheme and pay back the lenders.
He was entitled to get 75 per cent of the money spent on digging the well and another Rs 75,000 for buying pump set and other implements. However, he did not get the money despite repeated requests to the Agriculture Department. He was under pressure from money lenders to repay the loans. Unable to bear the stress, Dambaru took the extreme step, said Basudev.
Assistant Agriculture Officer of Kesinga block, Biswanath Mohapatra said as per officials records, Dambaru was given the work order with a deadline of three months to complete the dug well and install pump under Jalanidhi scheme and file a compliance report. The beneficiary did not submit compliance report and bills on time and on March 31,2017 the Jalanidhi scheme was closed by State Government. On July 8 this year, Dambaru had sought help from the Collector and his application for subsidy was forwarded to executive engineer of agriculture engineering division. Kesinga police has registered a case.