Already reeling under allegations of receiving Rs 8 crore chit fund money, the ruling BJD, in an apparent bid to divert the attention of people from the opposition parties’ severe attack both in and outside the Assembly, on Friday decided to hold a State-wide agitation on May 14 demanding that the Centre increase the State’s quota for rice in place of wheat.
BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb told reporters here that party workers would sit in dharna in front of all district Collectors’ offices and submit memorandums on the issue to the Collectors to be forwarded to the President of India.
“Most people in the State prefer rice as their staple diet and the ratio of rice to wheat in the National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiary list came to 85.82: 14.18. However, the Central Government is allocating food grains in the ratio of 78.83:21.17 for rice and wheat since the implementation of NFSA in November 2015,” said Deb.
Maintaining that there are nearly 24 per cent SC/ST people in the State and 83 per cent of the total population resides in rural areas, he said a ratio of requirement for rice and wheat 85.82:14.18 should be approved by the Centre immediately.
“Hence, our party has decided to hold a State-wide agitation on May 14 to highlight the Centre’s injustice and also to press our demand,” party Farmers’ Wing convenor Sushant Singh added.