SAMBALPUR: The rain gods seem to have ignored the once-fertile region of Sambalpur with farmers fighting drought for the third successive cultivating season. The drought situation led yet another farmer of Western Orissa to end his life, third in a week. The two deaths earlier this week were reported from Bargarh district.On Friday, a 25-year-old farmer, Samir Kumar Naik of Ramtileimal village in Paruabhadi gram panchayat under Kuchinda block in Sambalpur district died at VSS Medical, Burla, after a 10-day battle for life. He had consumed pesticide on August 17 after returning from his paddy field and was rushed to VSS Medical. He is survived by his ailing parents and wife. His family members said Naik was burdened by debt and was under mental pressure as to how to repay the loan. Samir was cultivating six acres of land recorded in the name of Pankaj, his father, and had availed a loan of `83,280 from Gochra Cooperative Society besides hand loan of `50,000. Last year his father had also availed a loan of `25,000 under Kisan Credit Card. Pankaj fell ill and could not move much due to rheumatism following which his only son Samir took up farming. It is learnt that due to insufficient rain, Samir could not undertake transplantation and all his hopes of a return had withered following which he took the extreme step. Sarpanch of the village, Mani Dhan, said Samir committed suicide over debt burden and failed crop. He demanded a compensation of `5 lakh for the bereaved family.Former BJP MLA of Kuchinda Rabi Naik castigated the State Government for delay in declaring sops for the drought-hit farmers. Naik was forced to take the extreme step as lack of rainfall had left him devastated. He also demanded compensation of `5 lakh for Naik’s family.With Samir’s death, the toll of farmers over loan burden and crop loss has goes up to three in the last two months in Sambalpur district.
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