BJP leader and Union Petroleum and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has alleged that the State Government has completely failed to discharge its responsibility to address problems of farmers, who have been affected by drought and pest attack.
“Even after several affected farmers committed suicide, the State Government has failed to address the problems of the peasant community. It has failed to discharge its responsibilities,” Pradhan told reporters here on Monday. He said the State Government only announces packages but doesn’t execute them. “The BJD Government is propaganda and publicity-driven. It announces packages but doesn’t disburse the same,” he said. He said several BJP-ruled State Governments are providing bonus on crops and waiving farm loans whereas the Odisha Government only announced and did not give bonus on paddy.
Pradhan also criticised the Government for not coming out with the sharecropper policy even after holding several deliberations on the issue. He said that he has already informed the Union Agriculture Minister about problems being faced by farmers in Odisha.