Farmer commits suicide in Bihar

Patna: A 50-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide by taking some poisonous substance along with his wife due to financial distress at Chachaul in Patna district, police said on Wednesday.

The farmer couple ate some poisonous substance last night after which they were taken to a hospital where the man was declared brought dead, while his wife is still battling for life, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Danapur Rahul Kumar said.

The relatives of the couple told visiting mediapersons that the couple were in financial distress due to agrarian problem. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who paid a visit to Chechaul village to meet the couple's family members, said that the farmer was in great distress as he was burdened with debts and there was no buyer to his wheat crop. Sacks of wheat crop were lying at the house of the couple, he said.

Making a scathing attack at the Nitish Kumar government, he said the state government had not opened puchase centre for wheat so far, leaving the farmers in great distress.

Sushil Modi, who is former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, alleged that the state government procured only 20 lakh metric tonnes of paddy against a target of 30 lakh metric tonnes and not making payment to whatever paddy acquired.

"Nearly Rs 1,600 crore payment of farmers against purchase of their paddy is still pending," he said. From Naubatpur, Sushil Modi went to Khijrisarai in Gaya district where a farmer allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the roof of his house due to financial distress few days back.