BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Thursday said BJP MLAs from Odisha should raise issues faced by people of the state and refrain from doing politics during their visit to New Delhi. BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra referred to the statement of leader of Opposition Jaynarayan Mishra on the proposed Delhi trip of all BJP MLAs sometime next week and hoped they will raise issues like the poor condition of the national highway from Cuttack to Sambalpur.
Patra said the BJP MLAs should also take up the issue of minimum support price (MSP) of paddy which should be fixed at Rs 2,930 per quintal as resolved and passed unanimously by the Assembly. Besides, the MLAs should pressurise the Centre to provide crop insurance money and fertiliser to farmers of Odisha.
The BJD leader said no steps have been taken by the Centre to resolve the problem of very poor teledensity and lack of banking coverage especially in western and southern Odisha.
Besides, the MLAs should also press for the release of seven lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses that have been blocked for Odisha, especially in the interest of the lakhs of tribal brothers and sisters from western and southern Odisha. Other issues include the complete withdrawal of 18 per cent GST on Kendu leaves since most of the Odisha BJP MLAs are from western Odisha, he added.