Bhubaneswar: Demanding loan waiver for the farmers hit by the cyclone Phailin, the BJP on Tuesday asked the Odisha government to release a white paper on the steps taken by it in this regard.
Alleging that the farmers have not been given adequate compensation even after three months of the calamity, former minister and senior BJP leader Manmohan Samal said "forget providing compensation to the affected people, the state government is yet to prepare a report on the loss incurred during the natural calamities."
The government, which is claiming that it has taken a series of measures for the benefit of farmers, has not paid even insurance claims to the farmers, Samal alleged.
"The government has neither taken any steps to restore the infrastructure in the areas nor it has initiated any inquiry into the misappropriation of relief materials. It has not fixed any time frame to complete these works either," he said.
"Why is the government silent on the waiving of loan and interest to farmers? Since the government agencies are not lifting paddy from the Mandis, the farmers are selling paddy in distress," Samal alleged.