Bhubaneswar/Nuapada: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has set up a high-level fact-finding team to explore the circumstances surrounding the death of a farmer in Odisha’s Nuapada district.

The team will be led by Prasanna Acharya, the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, and is expected to meet with the family of the deceased farmer on Wednesday.

This initiative follows the case of Nepal Majhi, 45, from Jadamunda village, who reportedly died by suicide after ingesting poison on Monday. He passed away while receiving treatment at a district hospital, according to police reports.

Majhi’s family has claimed that he was under severe stress due to his inability to sell his paddy at a government mandi, despite having received a procurement token.

However, Nuapada Collector Madhusudan Dash dismissed these allegations, stating that initial investigations suggested the farmer took this drastic action following a domestic dispute.

According to the collector, Majhi had been given a token to sell 30 quintals of paddy, which was valid until June 30. He consumed poison on June 22, eight days prior to the token’s expiration, the collector noted.

The administration has provided Rs 50,000 in financial aid to the grieving family and has assured that the farmer’s paddy will be procured before the token expires.

In the meantime, family members and villagers have blocked National Highway-353 at Komna, calling for justice.

BJD vice-president Sanjay Kumar Das Burma accused the BJP government of neglecting farmers’ issues, which he claims has led to such desperate actions.