Nearly 500 farmers from 12 panchayats of Chhadesh in Dhenkanal district came in a rally from Kantanali by-pass and gheraoed the Collector’s Office demanding immediate declaration of Chhadesh region as fully drought-affected.
Notably, the farmers have suffered a great loss due to the ongoing drought. In addition, there is no facility of proper irrigation in Chhadesh region. Due to this, a poor farmer of Ostapal village in Chhadesh Bhramarabar Nayak committed suicide.
The agitators demanded that the Government should waive all crop loans and provide fresh loan for Rabi crop without interest. Besides, they demanded irrigation facility for whole Chhadesh region, fixation of paddy (MSP) rate at `3,000 per quintal, `20,000 per acre loss of paddy due to drought, pension of `1,000 for poor farmers of more than 60 years old, construction of a cold store and building a Farmer Sadan at Chhadesh and correction of the ration card under FSA.
The farmers submitted a memorandum for the Chief Minister to ADM Yudhistir Nayak in the absence of the Collector. Farmer leader Debashisha Hota and BJP Krushak Morcha State vice president Ramachandra Patra led the rally.