Aggrieved over the apathy meted out to them in the procurement of paddy and other irregularities in mandis, the BJP gheraoed the Champua Sub-Collector’s office recently.
The leaders lashed out at the BJD Government alleging that by not purchasing the paddy from the farmers, it was instigating them indirectly to commit suicide.
State executive member Dr Murli Manohar Sharma, who led the farmers’ agitation, said the State Government had been misleading farmers in the name of target. After receiving the token, the farmers are rushing to the mandis but are harassed their under one count or the other, he charged. BJP State vice-president Sukeshi Oram said that despite the protests in the Assembly and demonstration of farmers everywhere, the Mandi problems were not sorted out. This is because the Naveen Government is treating the farmers as enemy of the State, she slammed. State executive member Bhavanishankar Nayak, district president Anshuman Sabuj Mahanta Varma, district general secretary Anubrat Behera, district vice president Debaprasad Mishra , Aganu Charan Mahanta, Swapna Sahu, Neelamani Mahant, Hemranjan Barik, Prakash Mallick, Vikas Saraagi and Mitrabhanu Mahakud joined the protest.