The local BJP unit here conducted a rally and a meeting at the district headquarters on Wednesday supporting a slew of demands by the farmers.
State vice president of BJP Basant Panda raised the issues of farmers’ plight and condemned the failure of the BJD Government to address the basic needs of the farmers. The leaders demanded increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2,000 per quintal and a bonus of Rs 500. He also demanded increase in the limit of agricultural cash credit and said that the minimum amount of credit to the farmers be fixed at Rs10, 000 per acre. Raising the issue of corruption in sale of DAP fertilizer, the leaders said, “The Government, to save the BJD MlA of Nuapada, who was involved in adulteration of fertilizers in the district, did not file any FIR against the MlA.” The MlA should immediately be booked under Essential
Commodities Act and the DDA of the district who protected the MlA should be suspended,” the BJP leaders said. More than 1,500 farmers had arrived from different parts of the district to take part in the rally and meeting. A memorandum containing a 32-point of charter of demands addressed to the State Governor was submitted to the ADM. The demands include release of insurance money of the year 2010-11 to the farmers and opening of Mandis at Panchayat level, among others.
Panda apart, the gathering was addressed by State Kisan Morcha secretary Jadumani Panigrahi, State Yuva Morcha secretary Samarjit Patra, District BJP president Ashok Mitra, District Kishan Morcha president Durlabha Biswal, Prakash Kalar, tribal leader Homsing Majhi, Subrat Thakur and Chaturbhuja Sen.