Other States   

22-year-old farmer commits suicide in Bargarh district

BHUBANESWAR: Close on the heels of suicide by a debt-burdened farmer in Jajpur district, a young farmer has ended his life in Barahaguda village of Bargarh district of the State.

Twenty-two-year-old Pramod Sahu allegedly took the extreme step after suffering huge losses in vegetable cultivation.

Sahu committed suicide by consuming pesticide and his body was recovered from his house early on Saturday.

Although the exact reason for the suicide was not immediately known, Sahu’s family members said that they had taken a farm loan of Rs. 12,000 from the local cooperative society another loan from a bank for purchase of a power-tiller.

They said Pramod was depressed because the cabbage that he and his two brothers had grown over two acres of land did not give enough returns as they had to sell the vegetable in the market at a very low price.

District Collector Harihar Panigrahi who visited the victim’s village in the afternoon, told The Hindu over the phone that Sahu’s neighbours told him that the farmer had taken the extreme step after suffering losses in vegetable cultivation.

He said he was not able to talk to the brothers of the victim as they had gone for cremating the body.

He said that he has assured the victim’s mother about payment of Rs. 5,000 for the cremation.

Stating that the family did not appear to be financially weak, Mr. Panigrahi said the exact cause behind the suicide would be known after inquiry.

Additional District Magistrate Meghnad Nayak was conducting an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the cause of the suicide, Mr. Panigrahi said.

As regards the loans taken by the victim’s family from the cooperative society as well as the bank, Mr. Sahu said the same could not be verified during the day, as it was a holiday.

Nabaghana Sahu, a 62-year-old farmer of Raghunathpur village in Jajpur, had committed suicide on the verandah of the local cooperative society on the night of January 30 after he was issued a loan recovery notice.

Although the family members said that Sahu had repaid the loan that he had obtained, the society had issued a loan recovery notice asking the victim to pay Rs. 8,505 against a loan of Rs. 4,250 that he availed way back in 1984.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already issued orders for initiation of criminal proceedings against the former secretary of the society. An inquiry into the loans reimbursed by the society has also been ordered.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Menacing build-up
Basant is coming
22-year-old farmer commits suicide in Bargarh district

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu