The civil society will organise a lok Adhikar Yatra under the banner of the Khadya Adhikar Abhiyan from Sunday in demand of proper implementation of the National Food Security Act and compensation to farmers for crop loss to combat farmers’ suicide in the State.
More than 50,000 people are expected to participate in the Yatra that would cover 17 backward districts, including Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Boudh, Subarnapur, Sambalpur, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabrangpur.
The Yatra will establish communication and camaraderie with people to protect their rights and mobilize incredible spirit of struggle in them. It will mainly focus on implementation of the National Food Security Act in letter and in spirit without any change, employment guarantee and quiet sabotage of the NREGA, sufficient budget allocation for education, health, agriculture and other social security schemes, forest rights, accountability and assistance to farmers, protection of child rights, etc.
The Yatra would also be an opportunity to expose major cutbacks in budgetary allocation for crucial welfare schemes like MDM scheme, ICDS, health and education, said activist Pradeep Pradhan.
The Yatra from four routes would begin from different regions and converge in Sambalpur, where a concluding rally would be held on December 17.