Farmers took extreme step as state govt failed to help: BJP

Holding the BJD regime "responsible" for unabated suicide by farmers in Odisha, BJP today said the distressed peasants were forced to take the extreme step as the state government "failed" to provide them with necessary assistance.
"The farmers had taken short-term loans of varying amounts from different sources. However, they faced crop failure due to drought and failed to recover the money they had put in," BJP's Odisha in-charge Arun Singh told reporters after party state unit's core committee meeting here.
Hit hard by crop failure and debt burden, the farmers were forced to commit suicide in the absence of any help from the state government, he alleged.

Though the state government had announced a drought package, "no assistance" had been provided to the affected farmers so far, which worsened their miseries, Singh said.
Speaking in similar vein, party leader and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was present at the meeting, alleged the state government has not prepared any memorandum on the basis of which the Centre could send a team to assess the situation and release funds.
It was decided at the core committee meeting that the party would expose the BJD government's "indifferent" approach towards the farmers and their problems.
Regarding the core committee meeting, Arun Singh said the party would complete process of organisational elections in the state by December 15.

Party's state unit President K V Singhdeo and other senior leaders were present in the core committee meeting which decided to strengthen the organisation at every level across the state.