Odisha CM to join BJD protest in Delhi for minimum support price of paddy

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ruling BJD will stage a day-long demonstration at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on 8 January to press for a hike in the minimum support price of paddy.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also expected to join the protest, said BJD vice-president Prasanna Acharya on Friday.

Mr Acharya said, “We have been demanding a hike in the paddy MSP to Rs 2,930 per quintal. A resolution in this regard was passed in the Assembly and supported by both Congress and BJP.”

But the Centre is yet to respond.”

To put forth the demands of the farmers of Odisha, the BJD’s farmer wing will stage a day-long sit-in protest at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on January 8, informed Mr Acharya who is also the president of Biju Krushak Janata Dal.

A delegation of BJD will also meet President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan after the demonstration and submit a memorandum over the party’s demand.

Sources said, all the MLAs, MPs, leaders, farmers and youth wings of the party will leave for New Delhi in a special train on January 5 to take part in the mega agitation.

On the other hand, Odisha BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said, “BJD had failed to provide basic facilities like irrigation, power supply, storage facilities to the farmers in the State. If the BJD was really concerned for the farmers, it would have provided bonus to them to ease their burden. The party is going to Delhi for a picnic and shedding crocodile tears on farmers’ issue.”