The BJP on Friday alleged that the State Government has betrayed sharecroppers once again by announcing a crop loss package for them without a requisite law.
“The State Government has been betraying sharecroppers by making only false promises for them. Under which law, the State Government has announced to provide compensation to them for crop loss due to pest attack,” wanted to know senior BJP leader and former Minister Biswabhusan Harichandan.
Addressing a Press meet, Harichandan said sharecroppers can’t get compensation out of an “empty” package announced by the State Government in absences of a law.
“Under the Odisha land Reforms Act, it is supposed that there can’t be any sharecropper. Only privileged Rayats and persons with disabilities can appoint sharecroppers.
There needs to be a legislation to compensate sharecroppers. But the State Government has made false promises in this regard for the last three-four years,” said Harichandan.
He further said that cooperative banks also can’t provide loans to sharecroppers as they don’t own the land they cultivate and have no formal identification.
He said the State Government has announced the crop loss package only to save itself from the ire and discontentment of farmers and common people.
Harichandan demanded that the Government enforce a law through an Ordinance to extend all support to sharecroppers and save farmers from committing suicide at the earliest.