Burdwan farmer commits suicide

BURDWAN: A tribal sharecropper from the Gerakhonta village under Memari police station area committed suicide on Saturday night by consuming pesticide after his potato crop was damaged due to incessant rainfall and blights, a disease common in plants. The deceased has been identified as Lakhsiram Hembram (38).
Rabi Hembram, the brother of the diseased, said that he had taken loan from local 'mahajans' at high interest and in fear of failing to repay the dues, he committed suicide.He left behind his mother, wife and two daughters.
With the suicide happening in Memari, the home district of agriculture minister Moloy Ghatak, the CPM has already taken up the issue. The party's district secretary Amal Halder said that they would focus on the poor state of the potato farmers of Burdwan east segment during their campaign.
The TOI has already reported a few days ago that over Rs 110 crore of potato crop has been damaged in Burdwan due to the cyclonic weather. This year there has been potato cultivation on 74,100 hectares in the district and the damage is estimated to be spread over 10,400 hectares, said a district agriculture officer.
Rabi Hembram said his brother had cultivated 'boro' crop on three bighas and potatoes on two bighas. He had taken a loan of Rs 40,000 from the local mahajans. "He found it hard these days to provide two square meals to his children, aged mother and wife," Rabi said.
"Despite several attempts, my brother failed to get the 'Kisan Credit Card' from the government and finally chose to end his life," he added.
The SDO (south) of Burdwan, Arun Kumar Roy told TOI that he has heard about the incident and is collecting information from the local BDO of Memari. "I have already ordered a probe into the farmer's death," he said.