The ruling BJD is the number 1 party in the country as far as cheating the farmers is concerned, alleged BJP leader Pradip Purohit on Monday.
At a presser held in Bhubaneswar, Purohit said that be it KALIA or bonus, the BJD has cheated farmers as the party in 2019 had announced to provide assistance of Rs 25,000 to farmers for their daughters' marriage. Has any farmer got the benefits? It is time that BJD leaders should answer this, the BJP leader asked.
According to Purohit, the farmers received only Rs 4,000 against Rs 10,000 which was promised by the BJD. What happened to the remaining Rs 6,000? he questioned.
The mandate is going in favour of the BJP and the party will work hard to double the income of the farmers, grant a special budgetary provision and a manifesto has already been released in this regard by the party, said Purohit.
"The day the BJP government is formed, paddy will be procured at Rs 3100 per quintal and the farmers will get the money directly in their accounts within 48 hours. The party will completely end the 'Katni-Chatni' adopted by the BJD government," said Purohit.
The BJP leader further said that fishermen will be provided one-time assistance of Rs 10000 during the non-production period apart from the establishment of cold storages. The BJD in its 25 years of rule has managed to set up 36 cold storages while around 200 are lying defunct. The BJP has promised to set up cold storage in each block, he added.
"CM Naveen Patnaik has failed to set up a single cold storage in his own constituency. The BJD only cares about winning elections while it has done nothing for the welfare of farmers. The party had promised to construct 1000 cold storages but only 36 were in functional condition by 2023. Similarly, several mega irrigation projects are also incomplete in the state," he added.
No comments were received from the Odisha government or BJD leaders.