The farmers of Khariar block under the leadership of the Congress staged demonstration in front of Khariar Block Office on Friday for about four hours.
Condemning the Modi Government at the Centre and the State Government run by Naveen Patnaik, the farmers said that both have failed to address their basic problems.
Hundreds of farmers are committing suicide, price of fertilizers and pesticides have skyrocketed, whereas the Governments by the BJP and the BJD are not taking any step to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy, they alleged.
The farmers demanded increase of the MSP of paddy by 50 per cent and weaving of agriculture loans of farmers as well as financial and other supports to the family members, who have committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burdens.
They also demanded implementation of sharecroppers’ law in Odisha.
"In addition the percentage system (PC) prevailing in the block, which has completely paralysed the development should be stopped," they demanded.
About 200 farmers of different villages of Khariar and Boden blocks had arrived to participate in the demonstration. "We are deprived of our basic rights due to corruption and the PC system has affected the quality of works in our villages," said a farmer.
"The PC system is not limited to the block office, it is extended further," he stated. "The PC system of the block has upward and downward linkages," commented a bystander, who was keenly observing the discussions amongst the farmers and gave an example of his village where the Village level leader (Vll) has paid PC to others members of the School Management Committee to execute the construction of a kitchen shed in a school premises.
This example was very revealing. "The Vll has promised to pay Rs 80,000 to the SMC members out of the estimated cost of Rs 4 lakh for the kitchen shed and about Rs 25,000 would be deducted towards royalty and others costs by the block. In case the PC is paid to the block officials at 10 per cent, what would be the quality of the kitchenIJ” asked he.
Adhiraj Panigrahi, member of Pradesh Congress Committee, said in his address to the farmers that the protest would be intensified if action is not initiated to fulfill the demands.
Khariar block Congress president Shyam Kuldeep, Janmenjaya Sing Deo and Hiradhar Meher among others were present.