BHUBANESWAR: Even before releasing its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, the BJP on Monday promised to pay Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy and free electricity to farmers if it comes to power in Odisha.
State BJP president Manmohan Samal said farmers of the state have been mostly neglected under the BJD government as their average income remains one of the lowest in the country.
Addressing a meeting of BJP Krushak Morcha at the party’s state office here, Samal said the state government has not been able to streamline paddy procurement and the mandis are under the control of rice millers. The farmers are not getting the minimum support price due to ‘katni chhatni’ (deduction of 5 to 10 kg of rice per quintal) and other irregularities during paddy procurement.
He said farmers of state are always at the receiving end due to lack of irrigation and cold storages. There has been massive corruption in purchase and supply of farm implements to farmers.
Samal said his party will organise Krushak Panchayat at 10,000 places of the state and assure farmers that the BJP will fulfil all their demands and purchase paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal against the minimum support price announced by the Central government. The farmers outreach programme will continue till March 12.
New NACs will face same fate of 2 municipal corporations
Questioning the motive behind announcement of 35 new Notified Area Councils (NAC) without following due procedure, state BJP spokesperson Pitambar Acharya said the state government has opened floodgates for more public litigation.
Creation of the new NACs without approval of the state cabinet and Assembly is a cunning move to create confusion among the electorates before the elections. The government is fully aware that the decision cannot be implemented till all the requirements of constitutional provisions are complied with. This is another false promise of the government, he said at a media conference here.
Had it been the real intent of the government, it could have followed all administrative procedures. Those aggrieved over this decision will now challenge it in the court of law to make it infructuous. Same thing happened with the municipal corporations at Rourkela and Sambalpur where holding election is not possible since the last five years as the matter is pending before the Orissa High Court, Acharya said.
