News Nation Logo

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

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Salka Pai | Updated on: 20 Nov 2018, 08:35:28 PM
Odisha Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy (File Photo- Twitter)

New Delhi:

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.

Also Read | 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Yashpal Singh awarded death sentence, Naresh Sherawat gets life term

“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.

Read More | Afghanistan: 40 killed, 80 wounded in suicide attack at religious gathering in Kabul

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)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

First Published : 20 Nov 2018, 08:33:33 PM

Videos