Because of drought, the yield of rice on Sudesh's five acres of land has come down to seven quintals from an 70 in 2016.
Sudesh Tekam, a 49-year old farmer is on a fast-unto-death in his hospital bed in Chhattisgarh's Rahmjnandga. He was forcefully admitted here by the district administration on Friday, four days after he began his fast.
All Sudesh is demanding adequate compensation for drought-hit farmers like him and timely payment of the government's employment guarantee programme wages.
Because of drought, the yield of rice on Sudesh's five acres of land has come down to seven quintals from an 70 in 2016.
Farmer Sudesh Tekam says, "We did many big rallies and also a Sarkar Jagao Yatra (March to Wake Up The Government) but they have turned a blind eye to our problems. So seeing the apathetic behaviour of the government, I was left with no option but to fast unto death."
The Raman Singh government declared 80 per cent of the state is drought-affected in 2015.
In Tundera village, 30 km from Rajnandgaon, farmer Ramgulal and his wife Amarvati are now desperately looking for buyers for their oxen so that they can repay their mounting debts.
The drought has also completely ravaged their rice crop on an acre of land. The pulse that they had grown on the remaining one acre is just enough to feed the couple for a few months.
"Because of drought we have had no rice or soya bean yield. This season we are managing but in the next sowing season we farmers will face more problems," Amarvati told NDTV.
The Raman Singh government declared 80 per cent of the state is drought-affected in 2015. The Rajnandgaon district is one of the worst affected with all nine tehsils declared drought-hit by the state government. Yet the administration claims the situation is not that grim.
"Rs 105 crore as relief has been given to farmers who are drought-affected. Many farmers claim they have not received compensation but of the Rs 105 crore, Rs 90 crore has been given to farmers. As money is being transferred to accounts so farmers may not know about it," Mukesh Bansal the Collector of Rajnandgaon said.
But many farmers disagree. Farmer Sabilal Kurmi said, "My field was surveyed but so far have not got any compensation till now."