PCC Krushak Cell (PCCKC) chairman Amiya Kumar Pattnaik on Monday demanded that the State Government should give 47 lakh mobile sets to the farmers instead of 20,000.
Addressing a gathering at a party meeting here, Pattnaik expressed shock over the negligence to the farmers, who have suffered huge paddy loss due to floods and damages caused by rains recently in Kalahandi, Nawarangpur, Koraput and Gajapati districts. The rains precipitated by the low pressure in the second week of June caused severe damages to the Rabi crops and paddy in the fields as well as huge stocks stored in the Mandis for disposal. But, the State Government has failed to tackle the problem, he alleged.
The PCCKC demands compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre of crop loss to the farmers to save them from economic stress and Rs 300 bonus per quintal of paddy, he said.
Pattnaik maintained that providing 20,000 mobile sets to the farmers will not solve their problems. If the Government really wants the upliftment of the farmers, it should provide 47 lakh sets, he demanded.
A fact finding team headed by Ramakanta Mishra consisting five members would move to the affected districts and submit a report to the PCC president Jayadeva Jena soon, he asserted and added that a PCCKC delegation had visited the Governor and handed over a memorandum to him in this regard.