Odisha farmer ends life, a day after torching crops

Bargarh: Brunda Sahoo, a farmer of Kalapani panchayat in Odisha’s Bargarh district, committed suicide by consuming poison today, a day after he set his paddy field on fire after being worried over brown planthopper attack on crops.

Sahoo took the extreme step at his paddy field and was immediately rushed to Burla hospital by locals. However, he was declared dead at the hospital.

Locals later blocked NH-53 near Kalapani placing the body on road over the demand of compensation for the family of the deceased. Till last reports came in, district Collector reached the spot and was holding discussion with the agitators.

A technical team has been sent to the area to examine the crops and submit a report within 48 hours, informed Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout.

Notably, 10-15 farmers in Kalapani panchayat, including Sahoo, had yesterday set their crops ablaze complaining that pesticide supplied to them by the state government’s Cooperation department was of inferior quality and had failed to save their crop from the pest attack.

They said since the crop was completely ruined, there was no point in harvesting it.