227 farmers committed suicide in Odisha in last 5 years: Minister

A total number of 227 farmers have committed suicide in Odisha in the last five years, state Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy said on Tuesday.

Maharathy, in reply to a written question raised by MLA Sanatan Mahakud in Odisha Assembly on farmers’ suicide, said that between 2013-14 and 2017-18, allegations of 227 farmer suicides were received.

The minister, however, said that the farmers ended their lives due to various reasons but not loan burden.

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“A total of 227 farmers had committed suicide between 2013-14 and 2017-18. However, loan burden was not the reason for them to take such an extreme step,” Maharathy said in a written reply.

“The farmer suicides were because of several reasons like mental disturbance, illness, depression, consumption of heavy alcohol and family quarrel,” said Maharathy.

One farmer in Basta block of Balasore district had committed suicide due to crop loss, the minister said, adding, the other farmers had ended their lives due to different reasons, including family problems.

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The minister also said that out of the 227 alleged farmer suicides in the state, the case of Brunda Sahu of Bargarh district, who committed suicide on November 1, 2017, was still under investigation.

“The alleged suicide may not be due to debt burden and investigation is on,” Maharathy said.

(With PTI inputs)