OHRC seeks report from Odisha govt on farmer suicides

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 13:

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) today sought a report from the state government within four weeks on alleged farmer suicides in the state.

Working chairman of the state’s rights panel Justice B K Mishra gave the order while conducting a hearing on a petition on farmer suicides in the state due to crop loss.

The OHRC has directed the secretaries of Agriculture and Revenue & Disaster Management departments to conduct inquire into the cases of alleged suicides by farmers due to loan burden and crop damage. The Commission has asked the secretaries to file the report within four weeks.

The rights panel’s order to the state government came on the day when two farmers allegedly committed suicide due to debt burden after crop loss owing to deficient rainfall this monsoon.

A total of six farmers have allegedly committed suicide in the last five days owing to loan burden and crop losses.