Two farmers commit suicide in Odisha

At least two farmers committed suicide in Odisha following crop failure, their families said Friday.

Dasarathi Nayak, 32, of Nayagarh district's Podagarh village, about 100 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, ended his life Wednesday by consuming pesticide. He is survived by his wife and two minor children.

"His wife and children said that Nayak was upset after his crops were damaged due to the cyclone and subsequent floods," police station inspector-in-charge S.K. Sahu told IANS.

The family said he was not able to repay the loan which he had taken from some local people to grow vegetables on his four acres of land.

He was taken to a hospital Wednesday evening where the doctors declared him dead.

In the other incident, another farmer, Lakhmidhar Pradhan allegedly committed suicide at Pakhar village in Balasore district Wednesday.

He reportedly failed to repay Rs.30,000 which he had borrowed from local people.

Pradhan's crops were damaged after the field remained submerged for several days after Cyclone Phailin and the floods, his family members said Friday.

The cyclone hit the state's coast Oct 12 and the floods which followed it have damaged crops on more than 1.2 million hectares in the state, officials said.

"During the last 20 years, the condition of farmers has worsened in Odisha. According to national crime record bureau, more than 4,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state since 1996," farmer leader Lingaraj said.

"It is most unfortunate that the state government has always been on denial, instead of investigating such incidents," he said.

Senior Biju Janata Dal leader and cabinet minister Damodar Rout, however, said the government has not received any report of farmers' suicide due to crop failure after the recent disaster. If anybody has committed suicide, it must be for some other reason, he told IANS.