Posts filed under ‘Farmer Suicide’
Sambalpur, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela to have terminal market yards for farmers
Following is a report from http://economictimes.indiatimes.com:
BHUBANESWAR: Orissa government will provide four terminal market yards to enable the farmers to sell their produce at market prices. The move comesin the wake of mounting criticism from the opposition Congress and BJP over increasing number of farmer suicide cases.
One of the terminal has already been constructed at Sambalpur with an investment of Rs 86 crore and three others are coming up at Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela, Orissa agriculture minister Dr Damodar Rout said here on Tuesday soon after addressing at a seminar on sustainable sugarcane initiative.
Dr Rout informed that although Orissa is the fourth largest vegetable producer, its farmers were not getting adequate returns on the investment because of high input costs and unscientific farming.
“We have been asking the farmers to use technology and modern method of farming to save costs. It will take some time for the farmers to adopt the new methods like drip irrigation and use scientifically developed agriculture tools and equipment,” Dr Rout observed.
The minister stated that the government had decided to as many as cold storages possible in the state through private entrepreneurs. “We are going to conduct a feasibility study of the existing cold storages which are lying vacant for all these years. Besides, individuals and cooperatives will be encouraged to build new cold storages. They will avail the Central government’s recently announced 40% subsidy and another 15% by the state administration,” Dr Rout said.
To a query as to why the state government had not yet come out with a specific sugarcane policy as announced by him a few months ago, the minister said a comprehensive policy was being drafted by the agriculture department to encourage crops like sugarcane, maize and horticulture produces.
Farmers committing suicide due to crop failure in western Orissa, Govt refuses
Following is a report from economictimes.indiatimes.com:
“Before taking the extreme step, my father – while dining with family members – used to ask us; – ‘How can we survive this year as there is no crop in the field? How can we repay the debts?”
Gangadhar had borrowed Rs 15,000 from Punjab National Bank for buying a pump-set and Rs 25,000 from the local Ghenupali Cooperative Society. Although he was not served any notice by the bank or the cooperative society to repay the loan, he was worried that he would earn a bad name and his image would be tarnished for defaulting payment of the loans.
“In our locality, people value self-esteem. They feel burdened if they have a debt burden as less as Rs 1000. Perhaps, Gangadhar apprehended he would be served debt recovery notice for which he took such a drastic step,” local market yard president Dilip Kumar Bhadei said.
Lalit Kumar Bhoi, secretary of the market yard, said although he got 140 bags of paddy last year, he harvested only 65 bags this season because of crop loss due to pest attack and scanty rainfall.
“My investment in paddy crop went in vain this year. Although farmers like me feel totally disappointed and shattered, we console ourselves since we know how to fight with life. But farmers like Gangadhar need bailout packages by the state government to sustain themselves,” Mr Bhoi said.
He added that despite the local farmers being given Silver Card and Gold Card as a mark of identities, they have not yet received crop loss compensation or insurance benefits as announced by the state government.
Sambalpur district collector, Mr Hemant Kumar Das, however, refuses to acknowledge Gangadhar’s suicide as fallout of crop loss and subsequent depression.
“Investigation by the district administration revealed that Gangadhar – under the influence of liquor – had a quarrel with his wife the previous night. That was the reasons for his death by consuming pesticide,” Mr Das said.
Gangadhar’s wife Bijli Mirdha dismisses the collector’s version. “He was very simple. He was also very affectionate and loved each member of the family. The government is trying to malign the image of my husband even after his death,” she says.
Over 40 farmers, most of them from western Orissa, have committed suicide in the last two months because of crop failure due to erratic rainfall and attack by caterpillars. Still worse is the fact that the government refuses to admit even a single farmer suicide denying them the much needed support.
Central team admits drought in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sundargarh and Angul region of Orissa
Following is a report from The Pioneer:
The Central team on Thursday admitted that the State was severely affected by drought. After visiting the drought-affected areas, the 12-member Central team called on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and discussed the issue with other senior officials here on Thursday. The State officials headed by Chief Secretary TK Mishra held a detailed discussion.
“The State has already given its own assessment and certainly we will look into the State demand,” said Atanu Purukayast, Joint Secretary of Union Agriculture Ministry.
The team visited a number of drought-affected areas of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sundargarh and Angul. They have also discussed the issue with senior officials. Moreover, the State has already placed a demand of Central funds to expedite drought relief work.
“The State in a memorandum given to the Centre on December 19 demanded Rs 2,257 crore to carry out drought relief measures,” said Special Relief Commissioner NK Sunderray.
He further said that in two phases, the State had already received Rs 172 crore. “We have requested to send another team to assess the damage caused by the floods that had come on the Mahanadi river system,” he said.
Central team visits drought-hit areas of Kalahandi district, Orissa
Bhawanipatna (Orissa), Jan 7 (PTI) A four-member central team today visited drought-affected areas in Orissa’s backward Kalahandi district to assess the situation.
The team conducted field surveys in Bhatipada, Kodobhata, Kuliapali, Mahaling, Makraguda and Bordi villages under Kuhura and Mahaling gram panchayats of Golamunda block and interacted with farmers about their problems.
In Bhatipada, villagers alleged distress condition due to heavy crop loss and reported that under the prevailing situation more than 70 per cent of the population have already migrated, while at Mahaling the villagers displayed the damaged dry crop.
In Kodobhata village the team visited the damaged paddy fields. In most parts farmers could not harvest paddy and the dry plants bore testimony the plight of the farmers.
As the land lacked moisture, Rabi crop harvesting could not be taken up and the entire region had a barren look.
Farmer suicides are not due to crop loss:Minister for Agriculture,Orissa
Following is a report from The Samaja:
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 