BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the state government, alleging a complete breakdown of the paddy procurement system. He accused the government of betraying the farmers’ community.
Naveen said farmers across the state are facing extreme hardship as the procurement process has virtually collapsed. He pointed out that they are being forced to guard their harvested paddy under open sky near mandis amid harsh winter conditions and spending sleepless nights in cold and heavy dew while waiting for the government to lift their produce.
“The double-engine government that came to power on the promise of supporting farmers has turned its back on them,” he said and added that despite repeated assurances of smooth procurement, adequate token distribution and active monitoring by ministers, the reality on the ground is one of chaos and neglect.
The BJD supremo alleged that the much-publicised promise of providing bonus on paddy procurement has proved to be a “day dream” for the farmers. “From token distribution to mandi management and actual lifting of paddy, every stage of the process has become a source of harassment for farmers,” he stated.
Condemning the government’s response to farmers’ protests, Naveen said it was unfortunate that their agitation is being labelled as “drama” instead of addressing their genuine grievances. “Is this what the so-called double-engine government means by respecting farmers?” he questioned.
He asserted that the people of Odisha would respond decisively to what he termed as the government’s deception of the state’s “annadata”.