Balangir, Jan. 17: A farmer of Matikhai village here committed suicide by consuming poison last evening.

Saytanarayan Bag (65), who was said to be under severe stress following heavy crop loss due to the unse asonal rainfall last month, took the extreme step to end his life as he felt that he wouldn’t be able to repay the loan he had incurred from a money lender.

The deceased reportedly consumed poison and was admitted at the sub-divisional hospital in Patnagarh in a serious condition yesterday evening. The farmer died at the hospital.

The deceased farmer’s son, Nakul Bag, said that his father was under severe stress after he lost his entire crop due to the unseasonal rainfall last month.

“His mental state was not good after we sustained heavy loss of paddy crop due to the downpour last month. Despite scanty rainfall, we had some crop this year. But the unseasonal rain took away the entire crop. It also took away my father from me,” said a sobbing Nakul.

Nakul further said that his family owns five acres of land. “The paddy crop was not good and we didn’t get good return last year. We, however, managed to survive with whatever was available to us. This year, my father took a loan of Rs 45,000 from a moneylender to cultivate paddy. And despite a bad monsoon, the crop was not that bad. And he had hoped to repay the loan after selling the paddy. But the rain last month upset all the calculations. It damaged our entire crop,” Nakul said. Nakul added that his father seemed to be under severe stress during the last two days.

“He consumed poison yesterday afternoon. After knowing about it, we immediately shifted him to the sub-divisional hospital of Patnagarh. He died despite our best efforts to keep him alive”, Nakul said.

Patnagarh sub-collector Mohan Prasad Das said that an inquiry had been ordered into the alleged suicide of the farmer.

“At this point of time, it is not proper to talk about the reason behind the suicide of the farmer. Members of the agriculture department, including the district agriculture officer, have gone to the village to inquire into whether crop loss and loan burden had led to the suicide of the farmer. Their report is awaited,” Das said.

Patnagarh police have registered an unnatural death case.