BHUBANESWAR: Even as a House Committee of the Assembly headed by Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat decided to meet President Ram Nath Kovind over its demand for higher minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, the BJP is planning to launch a State-wide agitation to pressurise the Government for farm loan waiver.
“We have been demanding waiver of farm loan as a majority of small and marginal farmers of the State are not in a position to pay back their debts due to crop loss,” said state BJP president Basanta Panda. Recalling Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s announcement at a public meeting at Sohela in Bargarh district in 2015 to provide a bonus of `100 per quintal of paddy over and above the MSP, Panda said the farmers are still waiting for the Government’s assistance.
The Chhattisgarh Government has set an example by providing a bonus of `300 for every quintal of paddy to their farmers, Panda said and added, Odisha Government should emulate the neighbouring State and extend similar assistance to farmers. Dubbing the ruling BJD as anti-farmer, Panda said while the Centre has enhanced the paddy MSP by `200 per quintal, a bonus of `100 by the State Government would be of great help to farmers. Panda said the BJP Kishan Morcha will launch agitation in all blocks and district headquarters over the twin issue of farm loan waiver and bonus to farmers as announced by CM.