SAMBALPUR: The Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS) will launch a campaign in coastal districts of the State from October 21 to mobilise support for the ensuing ‘Krushak Adhikar Chetawani Samabesh’ scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar on October 30 over Minimum Support Price (MSP), loan waiver and Mahanadi water issue.
Addressing media persons here on Wednesday, convener of POKSSS Ashok Pradhan said the organisation will hold meetings with help of local farmer bodies in Puri, Ganjam, Cuttack, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts to garner support for the Chetawani Samabesh.
Farmer bodies of the coastal districts have already started mobilising people in their respective areas to participate in the samabesh. The POKSSS will also intensify campaign in villages across 10 districts of Western Odisha comprising Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Bargarh against the indifferent attitude of both the Union and State Governments towards farmers.
Pradhan said the nine-day long ‘Krushak Adhikar Chetana Yatra’ of POKSSS, which concluded on October 16, covered about 1500 kms and convened 71 meetings in the 10 districts of Western Odisha besides Angul to garner support of farmers for the samabesh.
Demands of POKSSS include declaration of drought in gram panchyats where crop has been affected due to scanty rainfall, permanent drought proofing measures, enactment of law to protect interest of sharecroppers, market yards for crops other than paddy, setting up of cold storage facilities and godowns and make agricultural implements tax free, he informed.
The BJP led Union Government had assured farmers that it would fix MSP of all crops at 1.5 times the cost of production as per Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations. However, it is yet to fix the MSP of agricultural produces as per the recommendations, he added.