No farmer died due to agrarian problems in Odisha: Minister

Bhubaneswar: Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy on Saturday informed the state Assembly that no farmer had committed suicide due to crop failure or loan burden.

The minister said five farmers have died this year and four of them including Khainu Bagarti alias Hadu died not due to any farming related issues.

Replying to an adjournment motion in the assembly, the Agriculture minister Pradip Kumar Maharathy said, “This is unfortunate that farmers commit sucide in the state. We are worried over the incidents. But, none of the five farmer death cases received so far in 2017 were due to crop failure or loan burden.”

He said the joint probe reports of SPs and Collectors of the districts except Bargarh revealed that the farmers died not due to farming related issues.

While speaking about Bagarti’s suicide, Maharathy said that the farmer died not due to any crop loss or loan burden but due to quarrel with his wife.

Bagarti, a native of Kendpali village in Bargarh had allegedly committed suicide on February 28 over crop loss.

Bagarti’s suicide had created uproar in the state after the Opposition parties alleged that the Minister had given wrong information in the House. This had caused repeated adjournments in the state Assembly.