Khordha Cong holds stir, submits memo

The Bhubaneswar and Khordha District Congress Committee workers demonstrated at Khordha Collector’s office and submitted a memorandum to the Collector for the Governor against the Naveen Pattnaik Government’s failure to check price rise and sought prompt intervention of the Governor in the matter.

This was in response to a call given by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) to demonstrate before all the district collectorates across the State.

The State Government is neglecting agriculture which is the prime mover of economy and causing this inflationary situation, they said adding that the much trumpeted separate Budget for agriculture in the State has been an eye wash. The declining share of the sector to GSDP from 70 per cent in the early 1950s to 15.39 per cent in 2014-15 speaks volume, they told. They also hit out at the Central Government led by the BJP, alleging that it was unable to take measures to put the price rise under leash.  

The agitators demanded abolition of VAT on pulses, market intervention with availing of funds from National Price Stabilisation Funds, increase in allocation on MDM to ensure nutrition sufficiency for school children, permanent measures for self dependence in onion consumption with setting up of cold storages and crackdown on dishonest hoarders and black marketers.