The pressing agrarian issues followed by political speculation have come to the center stage after the appointment of Talcher MLA and pro-farmer leader Braja Kishore Pradhan as the president of the Biju Krushak Janata Dal (BKJD) of Angul district.
After getting stiff challenge from the Congress on loan waiver of farmers, the BJD, apart from introducing ‘KALIA’ yojana, is on a drive to strengthen its farmer wing. Including Braja Pradhan, the BJD Supremo and CM Naveen Patnaik has appointed many strong leaders in the BKJD all over the State.
Agriculture is largely neglected in the industries and mines affected Angul district. Only 15 per cent land has got irrigation facility in last 36 years and land of a vast ayacut area diverted to mines and industries. Moreover, as much as 300.16 cusec water is allocated only from Samal barrage on the Brahmani river at Talcher to four industries.
The Mahanadi and the Brahmani rivers flow around 250 km in Angul and Dhenkanal district. Here, the Government allocated as much as 1,028.039 cusec of water to total 26 industries where as only 11.38 cusec of water was allocated to three urban bodies of these two districts. The farmers, deprived of getting required drinking water and irrigation water from the rivers, are resenting against allocation of water to only various industrial houses.
The Rengali multipurpose project with a masonry gravity dam of 1,040 meter length, with a maximum height of 75M across river Brahmani near village Rengali in Angul district, has great irrigation potentiality.
But due to the inordinate delay of canal construction, agriculture is greatly affected. As per the official report, only 33,907 hectares have been irrigated through Rengali project.
Reports revealed that canal system of Rengali project envisages total ayacut area of 2,18,392 hectares.
Again in last 12 years, vast ayacut area has been diverted for industrial use which has greatly affected the agriculture. The State Government has manipulated the irrigation ayacut land in favour of industrial interest. This has now led to widespread unrest among the farmers. As per the report of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), people’s earning from agriculture in rural areas of Angul district is stressed due to pollution and low water availability.
Agriculture occupies a vital place in the economy of Angul district. It used to provide direct and indirect employment to around 70 per cent of the total work force of the district. The total cultivable area of the district is 2,16,403 hectares covering 32.7 per cent of the total geographical area. Angul district is categorized under the agro-climatic zone of mid-central table land zone of Odisha which is generally flat with undulating hilly areas. The zone frequently witness vagaries of weather like drought and flood and represents a rain fed farming situation. Again rapid industrialisation and mining activities with heavy pollution have greatly affected the agriculture.
Projecting Pradhan, the BJD high command wants to establish its pro-farmer image. Pradhan has directly and indirectly led about 200 strikes in last four years protesting exploitation by mines and industries and to safeguard the interest of the farmers.
And pertinently, it is widely discussed among the BJD workers of Talcher, Angul, Pallahara and Kamakhyanagar Assembly constituencies regarding possible replacement of Dhenkanal MP Tathagata Satpathy by Braja Pradhan as BJD nominee in Dhenkanal Parliamentary constituencies in 2019 polls to get the support of the farmers.
But the Congress is prepared with veteran KP Singh Deo as the MP nominee this time. The party will surely capitalize the failures of the BJD Government on agriculture front in past years.