Hundreds of Samajwadi Party activists took to the streets with the slogan, “Save Mahanadi” and “Save Brahmani,” here on Tuesday.
The activists squatted on the Master Canteen square and ate watered rice as a mark of protest against construction of barrages upstream Mahanadi and Brahmani by the Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand Governments, respectively.
Party president Rabi Behera said if other State Governments can implement loan waiver for their farmers why not Odisha Government which boasts of introducing a separate agriculture budget for the farmersIJ He urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to form an Inter-Ministerial Committee as the Government has done for the rights of the sharecroppers.
He also urged other political party to come forward to take the movement ahead to save the interest of Odisha and its farmers.
Among others, Sudarshan Pradhan, Bijaya Behera, Sambit Das, Pradeep Mishra, Subrat lenka, Sunil Mishra and Nirupama Das were present.