Increasing suicide cases in Orissa

AGRICULTURE IS the chief occupation in Orissa. Seventy five per cent of the total working population engaged in agriculture and agriculture related industries. The principal problem that agriculture in Orissa faces is the shortage of water in many areas. Orrisa is the Indian state which is most affected by climate change.

Many farmers have allegedly committed suicide in Orissa who totally depend on the mercy of rain. In Orissa, farmers engaged in rain fed farming and many farmers ended their lives because of total crop loss due to bad monsoon.

The frequency at which farmers are killing themselves in Orissa is appalling. Small farmers of Orissa borrow loans from micro-finance NGO’s whose rate of interest is incredibly high. Banks give up loans on five per cent rate of interest but it is unable to access this which requires lot of documentation process and this make rural farmer attract towards micro-finance NGO’s where disbursal process is quick and easy but the rate of interest is almost 24 per cent to 50 per cent.

Farmers who took loan from these micro-finance NGO’s were trapped into life long process of death. This is clearly being seen that these NGO’s are exploiting small farmers of Orissa.

Fear of not being able to pay the amount of loan which they have took from micro-finance NGO’s drove the farmers to commit suicide. Now loans have become a fear for every farmer of Orissa.

Government takes the pride in having comprehensive agricultural policy but fails to provide good irrigation facilities and insurance cover to protect farmers. This shows that our government fails to stop suicide cases in Orissa.