No Response by State Govt to the Notice issued by NHRC on Farmers’ Suicide Case

No Response by State Govt to the Notice issued by NHRC on Farmers’ Suicide Case filed  by Pradip Pradhan two years ago

Dear friends

Though two years passed, Govt. of Odisha has not responded to the notice of National Human Rights Commission on Complaint relating to cases of   Farmers’ suicide  despite several reminders . On 22.1.18, the NHRC has issued  final reminder to Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha  to reply  about  complaint  filed  by Pradip Pradhan, Advisor to National Human Rights Commission  about allegation of  suicide of 30 debt-ridden  farmers  in 12 districts of Odisha.

 On 1.1.16., Sri Pradip Pradhan, Human Rights Activist had filed a complaint in NHRC alleging large –scale farmers’ suicide in Odisha in 2015. During this year, around 200 farmers committed suicide due to crop loss and debt burden.  In the event of denial of allegation of farmers’ suicide due to debt burden by the State administration,   the Civil Society Groups of Odisha constituted   Fact-finding team to make visits to ascertain the facts about the genuineness of the alleged suicides, the reasons behind it and the socio-economic condition of the family of the famers who committed suicide vis-a-vis the support, if any provided by the Govt. etc.  A five number of Team was constituted which covered 13 districts and personally met   30 famers’ suicide families from 25^th Nov. to 10^th Dec. 15.  The Team experienced precarious condition of the family, mental trauma suffered by the family members, failure of crop due to less rainfall, tension to repay the loan borrowed from private money lenders at exorbitant price ( 10% per month) etc. All the families   vociferously said crop failure and loan burden as the major reason for suicidal death of the farmers.  The details of the cases documented by the Team and presented in a State-level Public Hearing organised  in Bhubaneswar on 13.12.15.

Acting on complaint, on 15.2.16 while registering the case No.766/18/0/2016, NHRC called for report from the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha within 4 weeks. In response,  the Joint Secretary, Home Department   forwarded the letter  dt. 28.7.16 addressed to the Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Govt. of Odisha to send the requisite report directly to the Commission.  Finding no response, the Commission on  dated 13.12.17, issued another reminder to the Chief Secretary  to  submit the action taken report  latest by 31.1.2017.  Finding no response from the State Govt. within one year,  NHRC has issued  final reminder  to  State Government on 22.1.18  to produce the ATR   within four weeks failing which the Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1991.

It shows how the State Govt. is  callous   to address the problem of farmers and trying to cover up  the  reasons behind  the farmers ‘ suicide in Odisha

Pradip Pradhan

Complainant and Advisor to NHRC , New Delhi

Date-29.1.18