Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday lashed out at the BJP-led Central Government accusing it of turning a deaf ear to the paddy minimum support price (MSP) demand of the farmers of Odisha.
Addressing a "Krushak Adhikar Samabesh" organised by the BJD at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, Patnaik said his party has delivered what it had promised to the people.
"We had promised to irrigate 10 lakh hectares of farmland in the last five years and we are almost completely done. In the last 4.5 years, we have spent Rs 30,000 crore on agriculture. As you can see, we make promises and we keep those promises," Patnaik said.
The Chief Minister said the BJD was forced to come and hold a demonstration in the national capital due to the sheer apathy of the Centre towards the interest of Odisha farmers.
"We repeatedly appraised the Centre about the need of hike in the paddy MSP for Odisha but the Centre didn't pay heed to our demand. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't meet the members of the House Committee formed to discuss the paddy MSP issue with him. After forming the Government at the Centre, the BJP forgot all the promises made to the people of Odisha," alleged Patnaik.
The Chief Minister further said that it is the responsibility of the Centre to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee. "Farmers are the backbone of India's economy. Odisha Government has introduced KALIA scheme in the very interest of its farmers and it would continue to fight for the interests of farmers," said Patnaik.
Reiterating his demand for financial autonomy, the CM said: "Had we been given financial autonomy, we would not have to come to New Delhi. We can help the State develop and prosper with its own funds."
Besides, the Chief Minister many other BJD leaders also spoke.
Later, a team of BJD members led by the party supremo met President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum on paddy MSP hike.