Nabarangpur: A 46-year-old farmer and a daily labourer, Shiva Prasad Bhotra, who had who had consumed pesticide four days ago, died at the district hospital here today.
“My husband committed suicide as the Kharif crop failed this time,” claimed Sunadei, the deceased farmer’s widow.
Villagers said that Shiva was found lying in a unconscious state under a tree four days ago. Some villagers then took him to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Collector of Nabarangpur district, Rashmita Panda said, “The exact reason behind Shiva Prasad’s death has not yet been ascertained.”
Panda also said that an official team has been formed and the has been directed to submit a detail report on the incident.
Panda said that Shiva was getting disabled pension of Rs 300 per month.
He was also covered under Indira Awas Yojona and his family was getting 35 Kgs of rice monthly under Antadoya Yojona. He also had a Kissan Credit Card.
In the year 2013-14 he took a cooperative loan of Rs 13,000.
The district administration had paid Rs 10,000 from chief minister’s relief fund, Rs 5,000 from Red Cross and Rs 2,000 under Harishchandra yojona immediately after Shiva’s death, said Panda.
Former MP Pradeep Majhi and DCC President Narayan Patro after meeting the family members of Shiva alleged that the farmer had committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burden.
They demanded that the state government should admit that the farmer had committed suicide and thus pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased farmer’s family.
The incident came close on the heels of a farmer suicide in Bargarh district.
—PTI