BHUBANESWAR: Stepping up the ante over its demand of price, prestige and pension for farmers, Navanirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) on Wednesday announced that it will submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the State on December 24.
“We will submit a memorandum to the PM on December 24 in Khurda,” NKS convenor Akshay Kumar said. Hundreds of farmers will stage a protest in front of Raj Bhawan on January 8. The demonstration will coincide with ruling BJD’s protest before the Parliament in New Delhi over paddy MSP hike, he said.
After hundreds of farmers, who were marching to the Capital on November 5, were stopped at Hanspal and Patrapada, the State Government had constituted an inter-Ministerial committee comprising Agriculture and Panchayati Raj Minister Pradeep Maharathy and his Cooperative counterpart Surya Narayan Patro under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera to prepare terms of reference to discuss the farmers’ demands.
“Though a committee was formed, the real issues of farmers have not been addressed. If our demands are not met by January 31, we will intensify our protest,” Kumar said. The farmers are demanding higher MSP for paddy, which is now fixed at Rs 1,750 after an increase of Rs 200 by the Centre. While the State committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has announced to stage a dharna near Raj Bhawan on January 5 demanding hike in paddy MSP, Odisha Pradesh Kisan Congress has also decided to hold Statewide agitation on January 8 over the issue.