Prasanna Panda's death anniversary observed in sambalpur

In the changing social behavior, farmers are taking the ultimate step to kill them as there is no social security in the farmers’ community of the state. Government agencies do not able to rescue the farmers because there is lack of commitment among the officials. It is a matter of concern when a farmer commits suicide who is supposed to feed the society with his hard labour. The toll would increase in future if Government does not take the matter seriously.

This was opined by the speakers while deliberating their opinions on the occasion of the symposium on ‘social security verses farmer’s suicide’ organized by the Prasanna Panda memorial committee on his 12^th death anniversary at Sambalpur on Friday. Speaking on this occasion, eminent educationist and columnist Dr. Narayan Pruseth expressing his concern said that earlier farmers were able to meet their both ends with what ever they produced from their agricultural produce. “The real problem started only after the globalization when farmers are told to enhance their produce by using pesticides and fertilizers. Now the cost of production is high in comparison to what they earn finally”, Prof. Pruseth exclaimed.

Government should not shift its responsibility by giving faulty data on agriculture loans. “The loan amounts that a farmer takes from nationalized or cooperatives bank is less than what he takes from private persons and money lenders. But it never comes to calculation many a times’, Dr. Pruseth told.

On the other hand, the president of the president of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) Abhaya Sahoo told that he was never against industrialization. “But my only concern is that I do not want industry at the cost of farmers”. Abhaya Sahoo told. He said that when the value of land is precision, by exchange of few lakhs if some one tries to uproot the peaceful living of the people how a conscious person will tolerate it. Mr. Sahoo apprehended that lakhs of people of Jagatsinghpur district would commit suicide like the farmers of western Orissa in coming days because of the government’s rigidness on the Posco. “People will not support any capitalist investment on bay of Bangle’s coast as nature provides them free lively-hood to the people with out any investment”, Sahoo told. He appealed the agitators of all displacement movements that are going on in Orissa to come under one banner to make their voices stronger. “Government has no right to sell mineral resources of the state to the hand of MNCs with out considering the opinion of the common people who are the real custodian through generation”, Sahoo argued. The president of the memorial committee Dr. Ramaballav Mishra was presided over the programme. Social activists Ashok Bisi and Unionist Dr. DP Nayak were also spoke on this occasion.