The Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and former Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday, urging him to provide adequate compensation to farmers for the crop losses caused by unseasonal rainfall in the state last month.
Patnaik emphasized the importance of issuing timely advisories regarding significant weather updates to help farmers mitigate damage from natural calamities. In his letter, he stated, “I reiterate that the Government of Odisha must take the plight of our farmers very seriously and order a proper inquiry followed by timely compensation. Furthermore, the government should ensure that weather advisories for farmers are issued promptly.”
Notably, Patnaik visited the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara on December 30 and 31, 2024, where he met with farmers who faced substantial losses due to the unseasonal rains in December.
In his letter, he highlighted the severe distress experienced by farmers and their families as a result of the extensive damage to both paddy and non-paddy crops during the harvesting period. He also mentioned his meeting with the family of Krutibas Swain, a young farmer from Balikuda Block who allegedly committed suicide on December 30 after being unable to cope with the crop loss. Patnaik described Swain’s suicide as “deeply disturbing.”
During his visits to the affected districts, Patnaik reported that farmers expressed their struggles with heavy hearts, asserting that such a situation had not occurred in recent times. He stated, “The farmers of Odisha and their families are facing a tremendous calamity. Their confidence is shattered.” He added, “In these circumstances, I demand that the government work diligently to provide timely and adequate compensation to restore the confidence of farmers.”
Farmers reported being unaware of the rains’ intensity due to the lack of timely government advisories. Moreover, in many areas, crop damage surveys have not yet been conducted, according to the former Chief Minister.
Patnaik also underscored the party’s demand for special category status for Odisha, stating, “Had Odisha been a special category state, farmers’ families would have benefited significantly from additional support, helping to restore their shattered confidence in a timely manner. This is why the BJD demands and will continue to demand special category status for Odisha.”
It is worth noting that CM Majhi, Deputy CMs KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, as well as Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, also visited several districts on Sunday to assess the damage to various crops due to the unseasonal rainfall.
