Samata Kranti Dal chief and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy has demanded Rs 2,000 as the minimum price and bonus of Rs 300 per quintal of paddy to the Phailin and flood-affected farmers immediately, failing which the Dal would resort to agitation.
While the neighbouring Chhattisgarh is paying bonus of Rs 300 to farmers, why should not the Odisha Government, he asked. Instead of paying bonus, the Naveen Patnaik Government is blowing lathi on farmers, he said.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, Tripathy said neither the State nor the Centre has any interest to solve the problems of farmers in the State. According to a survey, during last three decades, 2.5 lakh farmers committed suicide as they could not repay their loans. In Odisha, about 4,000 farmers have committed suicide since 2001 till date, he pointed out.
Though the Justice Pratap Keshari Mishra Committee has already submitted its report to the State Government on October 19, 2012 stating the reason for such suicides and the remedial measures to prevent suicides, no action has yet been taken, he pointed out.
He demanded payment of adequate compensation to Phailin and flood-hit farmers of Ganjam district at a rate of Rs 15,000 per acre, free and qualitative seeds to farmers and payment of pension to farmers.