BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Opposition parties have alleged that hundreds of farmers committed suicide during the last two years, the State Government has admitted that only 46 cultivators ended their life during the last five years. But the Agriculture Department has not given any compensation to the families of the farmers who committed suicide due to crop loss. With Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Nayagarh and Angul districts facing severe drought, it apprehended that more farmers may be under distress condition leading to suicide. The Kissan Khet Mazdoor Congress, the farmers’ wing of the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has criticised the district administrations for submitting incorrect eye reports to the State Government on drought. The chairman of the farmers’ wing Amiya Kumar Patnaik alleged that 85 to 90 per cent crop had been damaged in these districts. Patnaik has demanded that the State Government should amend the relief code and enhance the amount of assistance for farmers in the drought-affected areas. He said that the State Government should immediately announce a compensation of Rs. 20,000 per acre for loss of crop in the irrigated land and Rs. 12,000 in non-irrigated land. Besides taking steps to save the remaining kharif crop, the Government should provide seeds, fertilisers, insecticide and farm equipments to the farmers for rabi crop free of cost, he said. Patnaik demanded that rabi loan should be provided to the farmers at 1 per cent interest rate. Identity cards should be provided to the farmers, he said.
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