Bhubaneswar, Jan 2 (Reporter) Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Thursday urged the Odisha government to address the plight of farmers seriously and conduct a proper inquiry followed by timely compensation. In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Patnaik stated that farmers in Odisha and their families have faced a significant calamity, leaving their confidence shattered. He emphasized that the state government must work diligently to provide timely and adequate compensation to restore their morale. The BJD chief mentioned that he visited the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara on December 30 and 31, where he met farmers who suffered massive losses due to unseasonal rains in December. He noted that both paddy and non-paddy crops had been extensively damaged during the harvesting period, leaving farmers and their families in severe distress. Patnaik remarked that such a situation has not occurred in recent memory. Farmers, he said, were unaware of the intensity of the rains as the government failed to issue timely advisories. Moreover, in many areas, the survey of crop damage has yet to be conducted. The Leader of the Opposition expressed deep concern over the most disturbing and unfortunate aspect of the disaster:, farmer suicides in various parts of the state. He shared his experience of visiting the house of a young farmer, Krutibe Swain, from Balikuda Block in Jagatsinghpur district, who allegedly committed suicide on December 30 due to crop loss. Patnaik highlighted that Odisha, due to its geographical location, frequently faces natural calamities, placing additional stress on the state’s resources. He reiterated the long-standing demand for special category status for Odisha, stating that such status would have provided additional support to farmers and helped restore their broken confidence in a timely manner. The BJD President urged the state government to take the plight of farmers very seriously, conduct a proper inquiry, and ensure timely compensation. Furthermore, Patnaik stressed the importance of issuing timely weather advisories to farmers to prevent such disasters in the future...////...