Radheshyam Bhoi
By Sudarshan Chhotoray, Bargarh
Radheshyam Bhoi, aged 48, has three sons and three daughters. He has a family of 11 members, all dependent on him. Though he owns five acres of agricultural land, he has been fighting poverty during the last five years to get rid of the loan he has obtained from the local bank.Radhesyam lives in Paramandapur of Western orissa's drought-prone Bargarh district. Due to drought has lost all the crops. It's difficult to manage the family, pursue education of children and repaying loans, says Radhesyam.
"If there would be a favourable monsoon and co-operative society people will maintain transparency then only we will be able to get Rs. 50,000 in a year, from an initial investment of Rs. 20,000. But even that is not sufficient."
The farmers here have to do distress sale of paddy as FCI is not directly purchasing it from farmers. "If FCI had established local godowns to purchase paddy from us, then we could not have faced such grim situations," says Radheshyam.
The story is Jagatram Rout, 45, is equally tragic. A native of Rajiv Nagar forest in Nuapada district, he has four children. He has five acre land but no patta. His village is still to be declared a revenue village. They don't get any loans and agricultural subsidies.
Jagataram says he has to travel at least 30 km for medical treatment and to block headquarters as they live in the dense forest on the Chhatisgarh-Orissa border.
COMMENT
Jean Drèze
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