Bhubaneswar: Speaker Surama Padhy on Monday directed the Odisha government to place before the House the details surrounding the death of a farmer in Kendrapara district, allegedly linked to harassment during the ongoing paddy procurement season.
Delivering a ruling in the Assembly, the Speaker said the concerned minister must inform the House about the circumstances leading to the farmer’s death and the findings of the inquiry conducted into the matter before the end of the ongoing session.
The direction came after the issue was raised during Zero Hour by Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik. She alleged that the deceased farmer, identified as Trilochan Nayak of Junagadi village under Rajnagar tehsil in Kendrapara district, experienced chest pain after returning home from a rice mill in February.
Mallik claimed the farmer had been facing difficulties while attempting to sell his paddy. According to her, although he had received a token to sell the produce, he was asked to take the paddy to a private rice mill where he had to wait for three days.
She alleged that the farmer could not sell his entire paddy stock at the government-declared minimum support price (MSP), which caused him severe mental distress and ultimately led to his death. The BJD leader demanded that the Chair issue a ruling and seek accountability from the government.
BJD legislators Dhruba Charan Sahoo and Ganeswar Behera also raised the matter in the House, expressing grief over the farmer’s death.
The opposition members alleged that several farmers across the state have been facing hardship due to alleged mismanagement at government-run mandis during the paddy procurement process.
