The deceased has been identified as Balmuni Bhoi of Sambalpuri village under Lakhmar police station limits in the district.
As per reports, Hundreds of farmers including Bhoi have been sitting in a dharana near the Sub-Collector’s office in Padampur since last two weeks after the token of the farmers got lapsed while their paddy sacks were lying unsold at the local Mandi.
As many as 140 packets of paddy belonging to Bhoi were reportedly lying at the Lakhmar Mandi. Hence, he had been sitting in the dharana from February 13, a protesting farmer said.
Today, Bhoi collapsed at the protest site following which he was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, a farmer said.
The doctors said that the farmer died of a heart attack, he added.
Meanwhile, the farmers have demanded that the State Government should provide adequate compensation to the kin of the deceased farmer.
