Bhubaneswar: Alleging suicide by farmers in Orissa due to crop loss due to inadequate rain and pest attacks, Congress on Monday demanded probe by National Human Rights Commission and financial assistance to the families of the dead peasants.
"We demand an enquiry through NHRC into alleged suicide by at least two farmers in Orissa`s western parts," Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Bhupinder Singh told newsmen here.
Accusing the BJD government in the state of being `callous` towards farmers, he said Congress had submitted a memorandum to Governor M C Bhandare on the farmers` plight and sought his intervention into the matter.
He also asked the Naveen Patnaik government to set up a Kisan Commission to enquire into distress sale of paddy in the state after harvest of Kharif and Rabi crops besides incidents of farmers` suicide.
All farmers should also be covered under Agriculture Insurance Scheme, he demanded.
Lambasting the state government, Congress MP Amarnath Pradhan accused it of meting out step motherly treatment to western Orissa and said the people there would be forced to demand separate statehood if they were neglected constantly.
The party in its memorandum to the governor sought amendments in the relief code to give adequate financial assistance to the next of kin of the farmers who have committed suicide.
Bureau Report
