Alleging widespread irregularities in paddy procurement in Odisha, the Kisan Cell of the Congress (farmers’ wing of the party) will launch a ‘Mandi Chala Abhiyan' on December 13. In the first phase, the campaign will continue for a month till January 13, 2024.
Informing about the campaign in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president, Sarat Pattanayak said that a farmer spends Rs 2,700 to grow paddy, but he gets only Rs 2183 per quintal. “Given such deficit, the government should pay Rs 600 bonus per quintal of paddy,” Pattanayak said.
Apart from Rs 600 bonus per quintal, the party also raised other demands including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) and a hike in paddy MSP per quintal to Rs 2930. Apart from the complete waiver of agriculture loans of the farmers, the Kisan Congress has also demanded that Rs 25,000 should be paid as compensation to the farmers who have suffered crop damage due to the rains induced by the recent low pressure.
Amiya Patnaik, the president of the Odisha unit of the Kisan Cell of the party, said that following the advice of the PCC president, we will embark on the Mandi Chala Abhiyan from tomorrow and it will go on for a month.
“Party workers and leaders will visit all procurement centres across the state from tomorrow. The campaign will go on for a month in the first phase in western Odisha. A farmers’ rally will be held at Bolangir on Wednesday. The campaign will kick start from Sonepur. It will be led by the PCC president,” Patnaik added.