<div>Farmers’ suicide in Odisha has gone so alarming that almost 90 of them have ended their lives in the last few days, the BJP state unit has alleged. <br /><br />“The BJD government in the state is trying to suppress and hide the suicide cases,” Senior BJP leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan told in a news conference. <br /><br />“We want a thorough and independent inquiry on the issue by a high court judge,” Harichandan, a former state revenue minister, demanded. <br /><br />The state’s drought situation is unprecedented as a result of failed monsoon, he said, adding that crop failure and debt burden have forced 90 farmers to take their lives in different districts in the last few days alone. <br /><br />“The drought situation in the state has reached an alarming stage. Farmers are committing suicide almost on a daily basis,” Harichandan said. <br /> <br />“The state government has confirmed 40 deaths, but insists none of them are agriculture related. This is unfortunate,” he added. <br /><br />He accused the state government of not having a clear policy to handle the situation and criticised the Naveen Patnaik dispensation for contradicting its own party MPs by denying the farmers’ suicides are nothing to do with agriculture. <br /><br />BJD spokesperson Sashibhusan Behera responded by saying the opposition should not play politics over farmers’ issues.</div>
<div>Farmers’ suicide in Odisha has gone so alarming that almost 90 of them have ended their lives in the last few days, the BJP state unit has alleged. <br /><br />“The BJD government in the state is trying to suppress and hide the suicide cases,” Senior BJP leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan told in a news conference. <br /><br />“We want a thorough and independent inquiry on the issue by a high court judge,” Harichandan, a former state revenue minister, demanded. <br /><br />The state’s drought situation is unprecedented as a result of failed monsoon, he said, adding that crop failure and debt burden have forced 90 farmers to take their lives in different districts in the last few days alone. <br /><br />“The drought situation in the state has reached an alarming stage. Farmers are committing suicide almost on a daily basis,” Harichandan said. <br /> <br />“The state government has confirmed 40 deaths, but insists none of them are agriculture related. This is unfortunate,” he added. <br /><br />He accused the state government of not having a clear policy to handle the situation and criticised the Naveen Patnaik dispensation for contradicting its own party MPs by denying the farmers’ suicides are nothing to do with agriculture. <br /><br />BJD spokesperson Sashibhusan Behera responded by saying the opposition should not play politics over farmers’ issues.</div>
