The Congress on Tuesday demanded that to prove transparency in paddy procurement process, the State Government should refer a case of inquiry to the Lokayukta as there has been large-scale corruption in procurement involving officials from mandis to the State Secretariat with a secret deal with traders, middlemen and the Government.
Party State spokespersons Manoj Mohapatra and Dr Govinda Bhuyan and Kissan Cell chief Amiya Pattanayak said both the Modi and Naveen Patnaik Governments are responsible for farmers’ sufferings. The Union Government should immediately withdraw the anti-people farm Bills, for which farmer organisations are continuing their protest in New Delhi since November 26 last. The leaders also said that while farmers are in agitation, the BJD MPs are maintaining a stoic silence on the issue in Parliament.
Mohapatra said that while three lakh genuine registered farmers have been left out from the paddy procurement process, the Chief Minister is only writing letters to the Centre.
The party leaders demanded that the date for registration of crop insurance be extended from July 31 to August 31 and farmers’ registration for Kharif paddy procurement also be extended from August 15 till September.
Demanding withdrawal of the three farm Bills, abolition of the token system in paddy procurement, waiver of farm loans, to validate lapsed tokens of last session, loan to farmers with no interest and fixing the paddy MSP at Rs 2,930, the Pradesh Youth Congress staged a rally before the RDC in Samblapur led by the State president Dr Smruti Ranjan Lenka and assistant State observer Riyaz Ansari.