The suicide of Nandighosh Barik (55), a farmer of Harbhanga village of Agalpur block in Balangir, who had committed suicide on March 23 due to crop loss, loan burden and disheartening words used by local sub-collector, generated heat both in and outside the Odisha Assembly.
In Odisha Assembly, Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra alleged that on March 18 there was a hailstorm in four villages namely Harbhanga, Mursundi, Semel Munda and Kutasingha under Agalpur block, crops in a total of 169 hectares of land was damaged due to hailstorm. Maximum damages were suffered by paddy, onion, watermelon etc.
The next day, Agalpur tehsildar visited the village and saw the crop loss. But as no step had been taken to provide relief to the affected farmers, the villagers, including the deceased, met the sub-collector and requested him for government assistance.
Instead of being sympathetic, the sub-collector humiliated Nandighosh for undertaking farming in the dry months, Narasingha told the assembly quoting a police complaint of Nandighosh’s brother filed at Loisingha police station.
The Balangir sub-collector, when contacted, said the allegation against him is false. During the grievance redressal on March 21 a group of four to five farmers had come with the complaint that they had suffered crop loss due to untimely hail and rain. “I and other officers present were compassionate while listening to the farmers’ plights. The tehsildar was immediately asked to conduct an inquiry who submitted his report the same day. Unfortunately, one of the farmers ended his life”.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Shri Mishra said the officer has violated the protocol by commenting that the allegation made in the House on the farmer’s suicide is false.
“It is unfortunate that a Government officer dishonoured the Assembly and its members by airing his views which is uncalled for. If the Chair so wants, the Sub-Collector needs to be summoned and reprimanded,” Mishra said.
Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Sub-Collector is behaving in a manner as if he is above law. He demanded that the officer be summoned to the House without any delay. Supporting the issue, senior BJP member and former minister KV Singhdeo said, “We had demanded a reply from the Government, which is required to be submitted within 48 hours, and by now, 24 hours have already passed. Kindly ensure that the reply is given in time.”
Outside the assembly Navanirman Krushak Sangathan staged a demonstration and hundreds of its activists courted arrest demanding pension for peasants, while Opposition Congress demanded arrest of a sub-collector in Balangir holding him responsible for the suicide of a farmer.
Activists scuffled with police near Indira Gandhi Park in front of the state secretariat while they tried to march towards the Assembly. The police were caught unaware after the agitators in smaller groups had tried to march towards the House from several intersections. The situation came under control after senior police officials reached the spot and pacified the agitators.