BHUBANESWAR : The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday demanded a probe by the Lokayukta into large scale irregularities in paddy procurement across the State.
Addressing media persons here, the party’s spokespersons said the State government should immediately refer the issue to the Lokayukta for a thorough probe as over three lakh registered farmers are yet to sell their produce across the State. Alleging that the government is protecting officials responsible for the irregularities, they said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has remained silent after writing a letter to the Centre to extend the time limit for procurement.
The party demanded extension of the last date for insurance and registration for procuring paddy from farmers to August 15 to September 15 respectively. Describing the Centre as anti-farmer, the OPCC also demanded scrapping of the three agriculture legislations passed in the Parliament despite strong protest by opposition parties. The party demanded increasing the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to `2,930 per quintal as per an unanimous resolution passed in the State Assembly.
It also asked the government to come up with details over its failure to achieve the target of creating 35 per cent irrigation facilities in all 314 blocks of Odisha. The party alleged even after 21 years of BJD rule, 192 blocks out of the total 314 are to yet to reach the target.