Contending that they have no trust on the oral assurance made by Union Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on increased rice allocation to the State, the ruling BJD on Saturday hit the streets across the State demanding more rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Rallies and demonstrations were organised by the BJD farmers’ body in all 32 organisational districts of the party which were led by local MlAs and district unit leaders. The protestors submitted memorandums to the district Collectors addressed to the President of India.
The regional party staged a demonstration in front of the Khordha Additional District Magistrate (ADM) office here. Party farmers’ unit convenor and MlA Sushant Singh, MlAs Priyadarshi Mishra, Sashibhusan Behera, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena and many other party leaders participated in the demonstration and decried the “apathetic attitude” of the NDA Government at the Centre to the State.
“You (Paswan) can make a statement announcing that rice and wheat will be provided to Odisha from June in the ratio as demanded by the State. Then you fail to communicate this in writing,” remarked MlA and party spokesperson Sashibhusan Behera.
He said, “The successive Central Governments have always neglected Odisha. As per the survey conducted before implementation of the NFSA Act, we need 85 per cent rice and 15 per cent wheat. The Act also mandates that the consumers can choose their food. The Central Government is, however, trying to force the hands of the State Government by providing more wheat in place of rice.”
Reminding that the Union Government did not even give half of what the State had demanded as drought relief even after assuring the State, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma said there is no point going by spoken word of the Union Minister.