Bhubaneswar: The ongoing farmers' agitation over 'price, prestige and pension' was today postponed till May 5 after the Navnirman Krushak Sangathan held discussions with four BJD leaders in connection with fulfillment of their demands.
Sangathan Convener Akshay Kumar informed about the agitation being deferred after BJD leaders Sameer Das, Dibyaranjan Mishra, Prashant Muduli and Rabi Mohapatra met them to discuss various issues and problems of the farmers and assured steps to resolve these issues.
Sameer Das said, "The state government is ready to fulfill the demands of the farmers and for this a ministerial level committee will be formed which will be led by the Finance Minister. The farmers' association can discuss various problems with this committee and in the next level the state government will be apprised to find out a solution to these."
On the other hand, Sangathan Convener Akshay Kumar said," The ministers informed us about forming a new committee to look into the problems including the security allowance. We will wait for three months and see whether anything is implemented. If the situation remains unchanged, then our protest will be more intensified then."
Protesting the Naveen Patnaik-led government’s apathy towards their longstanding demands of price, pension and prestige, the farmers, under the banner of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan, have been sitting on a dharna at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar since March 12.
The farmers had also threatened to gherao the Odisha Assembly today if the state government fails to fulfill their demands.
Their demands include a security allowance of Rs 5,000 per month to nearly 36 lakh farmers of the State, remunerative price for crops and loan waiver among others.