The Odisha government preferred to go defensive as the opposition Congress today grilled it over 100 plus farmers' suicide cases allegedly due to crop failure and debt burden.
As many as five ministers including three senior cabinet members defended the state government in the House even as Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress held the administration squarely responsible for the death of as many as 141 farmers.
While Revenue and Disaster minister Bijayshree Routray replied the debate on the farmers' suicide issue, Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout, Agriculture minister Pradeep Kumar Maharathy, Panchayati Raj minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and Handloom and Textile minister Snehangini Chhuria tried to defend the government by claiming the farmers' deaths had nothing to do with the prevailing agricultural crisis due to the drought situation.
Senior BJD MLA and former Revenue minister S N Patro also came to the rescue of the government as Mishra and his opposition colleagues blamed the state administration for not taking adequate steps to prevent farmers from taking the extreme step.
"Our government has been formulating a legislation to ensure that the marginal and small sharecroppers also get get loans from nationalised and cooperative banks," Patra said while Congress members claimed the farmers committed suicide as they failed to repay the loans taken at higher rate of interest.
Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout, however, agreed with the opposition allegation that 35 per cent of cultivable land in each block have not been provided with irrigation facilities. He also admitted that all the defunct lift irrigation projects were not repaired to irrigate the cultivated land.
Agriculture Minister Maharathy during his speech
though admitted that 122 farmers have committed suicide, refused to conclude that the deaths were due to crop loss and debt burden.
"As the farmers in Odisha have bravely faced many calamities in the past, they do not commit suicide over crop loss. Their deaths may be due to some other reason," Maharathy said.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Bijayshree Routray also made similar observations. He claimed framers' deaths had nothing to do with crop failure or debt burden.
Pancayati Raj minister Arun Kumar Sahoo accused the opposition party of taking political mileage over the drought situation.
"Since the opposition has no other issue, they are raising the drought issue and giving colour to farmers' death cases," Sahoo said.
Chhuria, however, went a step forward and claimed the massive gathering at the BJD's farmers rally at Sohela in Bargarh district proved the opposition allegation were false.
Mishra, on the other hand accused the ministers of not replying to questions he raised during the debate.
"Since the government has no reply to my questions, they try to divert attention. I challenge the government to place the farmer suicide inquiry report in the House," Mishra said.
The leader of opposition also suggested the state government to rise up to the occasion and convene the natural calamity meeting to break the chain of farmers' suicide.
