Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 : Opposition Congress and BJP on Tuesday announced to launch agitation across Odisha for providing compensation and various other facilities to the farmers.
BJP threatened to launch protests across the state in the coming days if the government failed to provide compensation to farmers within 15 days for the loss they suffered due to the recent unseasonal rain.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor Raghubar Das, a BJP delegation led by party’s Krushak Morcha Maheshwar Sahu demanded the government to waive agricultural loan, electricity duty, provide free seeds, fertiliser and pesticide to farmers and assistance to take up alternative crop cultivation.
The BJP Krushak Morcha alleged that the income of the farmers in the state is the lowest in the country due to anti-farmers policy of the state government during its 23 years rule.
The farmers have suffered a lot due to weak agricultural infrastructure. The government, they said, also failed to provide irrigation facilities and cold storage to the farmers.
Meanwhile, OPCC President Sharat Patnaik and Congress Kissan Cell Chairman Amiya Patnaik in
a joint press conference announced the“ Mandi Chal “ movement in all blocks in the state for one month.
Kissan Cell Chairman Amiya Patnaik said a massive farmers convention will be organised at Sonepur on Wednesday and in the first phase the” Mandi Chal” movement will start from Sonepur in Western Odisha to protect the interest of the farmers.
The Mandi chal campaign which will start on Wednesday will continue till January 13.
They demanded the government to provide a compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre to farmers for
the crop loss in the unseasonal rain triggered by a low pressure and to waive the crop loan of the farmers.
OPCC President said though the government has been demanding since long to hike the MSP of paddy to Rs 2930 per quintal, the BJP led government at the centre has not yet accepted it.
He demanded the government to procure paddy from farmers at Rs 2930 per quintal as decided by
it earlier.
The Congress leaders alleged that the farmers are incurring a loss of around Rs 600 per quintal as the government has fixed the MSP of paddy Rs 2183 per quintal against the expenses of around Rs 2700 per quintal.
The government, the Congress leaders said, should give Rs 600 as bonus to the farmers per quintal, procure all paddy discolored due to unseasonal rain and stop Katni chhatni.
During the Mandi Chal campaign, the Congress activists will try to ensure that the farmers get justice and not face any problem while selling their paddy at the Mandi.
