BARGARH: With an eye on panchayat poll and resentment brewing among farmers over raw deal given to them by the State Government, the BJP on Tuesday came down heavily on the State Government for its failure in providing succour to the farmers.
The party’s district unit organised a protest meeting in front of the Collectorate which was attended by BJP general secretary Suresh Pujari and State BJP president Basanta Panda, among others.
Addressing the gathering in the land of farmers, Pujari demanded a CBI probe into the paddy procurement system in the State. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has indicted the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department for showing undue favour to private rice millers for custom milling of paddy despite huge arrears pending against them, he said.
He dared the State Government for a CBI probe and said it will land many bureaucrats and politicians behind bars.
The paddy procurement system has been virtually outsourced to rice millers and farmers are at their mercy, Pujari said. Though the Centre is paying for FAQ paddy, millers are deducting money on the plea of moisture content and foreign bodies to earn quick bucks, Pujari leader said, adding that the State Government is hand-in-glove with rice millers.
The State Government has failed on both fronts __ in the land of farmers and in governance. Blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for covering up its failure will not absolve the BJD and time has come to pack Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Mahaprayan and the process would begin from Bargarh, he added. The BJD is providing mobiles to farmers and in return giving water to the companies, Pujari said.
Addressing the gathering, Panda said failure of the State Government to support the farming community forced them to reach out to farmers and take up their cause.Speaking on other problems faced by the people of the State, Panda said several schools have no teachers while many are running short of staff. There are no doctors in hospitals and corruption has reached a new high while law and order has collapsed. Time has come to give the BJD a befitting reply, Panda said.
The meeting was presided over State BJP vice-president Ashwini Sarangi, State executive member Sureshswar Satpathy and State Yuva Morcha general secretary Irasis Acharya. Earlier, the BJP took out a massive rally from district BJP office to the Collectorate after going round the town. The BJP also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor.