Akhila Bharat Krushak Sabha general secretary Khirod Prasad Singh Deo and Odisha Rajya Krushak Sabha general secretary Suresh Panigrahi on Saturday in a joint statement said the inter-Ministerial Committee meeting held here on Friday to discuss about agriculture and farmers’ problems was a farce.
They said that while the agricultural and farmers’ problems have become alarming in the State, the Government has woken up from slumber very late. Keeping in mind the forthcoming elections, the Government has taken the move.
The Akhila Bharat Krushak Sabha and the Odisha Rajya Krushak Sabha were in the forefront of agitations against the British and the Zamindars from 1936. Recently, these organisations spearheaded the farmers’ agitations in Maharashtra and Delhi.
But the Odisha Government, instead of holding talks with them, is inviting farmers’ organisations which are supporting them in a bid to garner farmers’ votes, they alleged.
In the last few years, the sharecroppers’ problems have increased. But the Government is yet to fix the minimum support prices (MSP) for agricultural produce or provide identity card to sharecroppers.