Monday, December 14, 2009

Turmoil in orissa house

About 28 farmers commit suicide over the past four months

The Opposition Congress members created a ruckus in the Orissa Assembly over the issues of alleged suicides by farmers and the mining scam last week. With pandemonium continuing, the House was adjourned thrice for ten minutes each.

These two major issues are being used by the Opposition to corner the Naveen Patnaik government that has been ruling the state for the last twelve years. Incidentally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — the alliance partner of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the initial two elections only to snap ties in the 2009 local polls — has also joined in.

Their leaders leave no chance to highlight the ruling government’s failure in addressing farmers’ problems.

The party known for ignoring Opposition seems to be upset with the latest development in the state. Till date, at least 28 farmers have committed suicide in the state over the past four months of which more than 15 were from the western part of the Orissa — considered the ‘rice bowl’ of the state.

Besides, the government is also in the dock for its role in the Rs 14,000 crore mining scam. The Congress is seeking a CBI probe into the whole episode.

Cornered, the government has rolled out a number of schemes for the farmers whose rabi crop was destroyed by poor rainfall. However, the Congress is not willing to take the government-run rescue mission at face value. They say that the government has not come out with any concrete rescue package for the debt-ridden farmers who are distressed due to crop losses. And they are in such a sad position that they can’t even pay back their debts taken from the local agents.

“The government has no right to remain in power, as it has failed to rescue the farmers of the state. Forget about compensating the debt-ridden farmers, the government should have at least consoled the deceased family members”, BJP state president Suresh Pujari said.

Farmers’ issues has tarnished the clean image of Naveen Patnaik. “Farmers of the state are upset with the chief minister, as he has done little to address their real problems. The government has not added a single inch of irrigated land during its regime. It has neglected the agricultural sector and the farmers are suffering,” Central minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena told TSI.

The usual response from the government has been that it would look into the matter.
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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative


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