BHUBANESWAR | Monday, November 2, 2009 | Email | Print | 
Farmer suicides to take epidemic form: Krushak Mahasangha
PNS | Bhubaneswar
Odisha Krushak Mahasangha president Bhibhudendra Pratap Das said here on Sunday that the Government’s much propounded announcement to provide a package of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 financial aid to the farmers, whose cultivation is affected by caterpillar pests, has fell flat as is evident from the recent suicide of a farmer Banchanidhi Pradhan of Srichandanpur village under Seragada block in Ganjam district.
In a Press release, Das stated that to cultivate paddy on a one acre land, a sum more than Rs 15,000 was spent. Thus, on the given subsistence of the Government, the farmer could not be free from his loans. Moreover, the attempt to create five lakh ponds for irrigation was futile. The present Government which had started work in different blocks four years ago had rendered 90 per cent of the embankment are unable to store water due to corruption he alleged.
Though, since last five years, the Krushak Mahasangha had been submitting memorandums to the Government to follow a practical agricultural policy which had not been taken into consideration of the Government.
Every panchayat was to be agriculturally insured was one of the proposals, where a farmer could have availed benefits from crop insurance. Suggestions were also given to provide loans at one per cent for the first six months which would not have been a burden to the farmer, he said. The release further revealed that the farmer was deprived of getting value of his produce in terms of his expenses.
To solve the problem, Das suggested that through private enterprise, agriculture based small and medium industries including cold storage plant could be set up and demanded waiving interest on loans for a period of five years.
The black-marketting of BPL rice had prevented the farmer from selling his surplus paddy at the market rate. Instead of subsidised rice, cash should be given to the farmers, which would considerably reduce distress selling of paddy. It is strongly felt that if the Government would not take steps as per our suggestions, farmers' suicide would take an epidemic form, said the release.
He reminded that the BJD in its election manifesto promised to provide agricultural loans at three per cent, while the Andhra Government was providing at an interest of three per cent.
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