PCC president Niranjan Patnaik on Thursday alleged that the BJD Government has failed in providing basic facilities to lakhs of small and marginal farmers and is not at all compassionate to them. “We saw the anger of farmers during the Odisha Bhandh held by the Nabanirman Krushak Sangathan today. It is just a trailer and the full movie will release with the ouster of the BJD in 2019 elections,” he said. Pooh-poohing the Government’s KALIA scheme, he said the Government should clarity why farmers are agitating despite launching of the scheme.
“Out of the last 19 years, the BJD and the BJP jointly ruled the State for nine years. For the last five years, the BJD Government is extending blind support to the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre. These two political parties have not taken a single step for development of agriculture and betterment of farmers. There is no irrigation facility to the farm land; farmers are not getting seeds and fertilizer in proper time. They are also not getting MSP for their crops,” alleged Patnaik.
He reiterated that, if voted to power, the Congress will waive all farm loans, procure paddy at an MSP of Rs 2, 600 per quintal and provide bonus over on MSP for pulses. Besides, solar pumps will be provided for irrigation purposes and farmers would be provided financial assistance to farmers for five years.