Naveen faces heat over farm suicides

Farmers allege spurious pesticides supplied by Odisha government agencies and inaction by agriculture department officials have resulted in crop loss in over 1.78 lakh hectares in 16 of the 30 districts.

Bhubaneswar: As agrarian distress forces farmers in Odisha to end their lives, politics over the issue is hotting up with the rivals training their guns on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government for neglecting peasants.

The agrarian crisis has engulfed more than half of the state's 53 lakh farmers. As many as nine farmers have committed suicide in the past one week due to crop damage in pest attack and the number, as apprehended by experts associated with agriculture economy, may alarmingly rise in the coming days.

Reports of scores of farmers setting ablaze their farmlands in protest against the state government's alleged failure to provide timely advice and assistance to save their crops are pouring in from various districts almost everyday. The biggest sufferers are sharecroppers who do not get any government relief, that goes to the land owner, in case of crop failure.  

The crisis has led to hectic politicking in the state. The Opposition BJP and Congress squarely blame the ruling BJD for the current situation.

The BJD, on the other hand, seems to be making desperate attempts to wriggle out of the situation contending that it had taken timely actions during the beginning of the crop season and was now taking all possible steps to reach out to the distressed farmers.

"As usual, politics over death of farmers will continue with all parties eager to capitalise on the issue. It's high time that people from all sections unite to put pressure on the Naveen Patnaik government to give legal recognition to sharecroppers, thereby, enabling them to avail government benefits," said Navnirman Krushak Sangathan convenor Akshaya Kumar.

Farmer groups allege spurious pesticides given by government agencies and "inaction" by the agriculture officials to provide timely technological support and advice to farmers have resulted in crop loss in over 1.78 lakh hectares land in 16 of the 30 districts. The crop loss figure would expectedly rise further as the assessment process is still on.

Faced with the anger  from various quarters after farmer suicides, agriculture minister Dr Damodar Rout announced a crackdown on the vendors selling "spurious" and sub-standard pesticides. However, the announcement still remains to be translated into action.

Of the eight farmers who have committed suicides allegedly due to crop damage, five are from Bargarh district while one each died in Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Nuapda and Kalahandi districts.

A day before he committed suicide on November 1, 2017, Brundaban Sahoo, a 55-year-old farmer of Kalapani village in Bargarh district, had told the media that despite repeated appeals to the district authorities about the pest attack, no solution was provided to the local farmers.

Sahoo, a share-cropper, had undertaken paddy cultivation in about 14 acres of land but the brown plant-hopper pest robbed him of the entire yield. He was worried about paying back Rs 4 lakh private loan he had invested on his cultivation.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is the BJP face in the coming Assembly polls, said that the BJD government is  insensitive towards farmers. "It has never been able to extend necessary supports to farmers. Its insensitivity can be gauged from the fact that the agriculture department was late in sending subsidised pesticides to the state's 314 blocks. The notification should have been issued three months before. In fact,  farmers in Odisha have suffered because of a deep crisis of governance under the present BJD regime.'

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan said, “Every year, a number of farmers are committing suicides due to crop loss, distress sale of produces and debt burden. The problems remain the same, the government does precious little to address them.”

According to Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) V-C and scientist Surendranath Pasupalak, the University had on October 16 informed the state government through a letter about the impending pest attack and advised taking preventive measures.

State agriculture minister Dr Rout, however, pleaded ignorance about the letter.

"I have not seen any letter from the OUAT. Had I received it, I would have surely acted upon it," said Dr Rout.

Farmer leader Lingaraj said the agriculture department was late in sending subsidised pesticides to the state's 314 blocks this year.