Sambalpur: The politics over paddy procurement in Odisha intensified on Thursday with the Opposition BJP leaders taking to night-long protest in front of the Town Police Station in Sambalpur.
The party intensified its protest after organising a protest of thousands of farmers in the state’s western town while accusing the BJD government of inaction over irregularities in the paddy procurement process.
BJP activists led by party President Samir Mohanty, leader of the Opposition PradiptaNaik, Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari and many other leaders assembled on the premises of the Sambalpur Town PS and staged a dharna for whole night braving the chilly winter in protest against the shoddy affairs in paddy procurement by the State government.
During the congregation, BJP leaders alleged that despite Odisha government’s tall claims of record procurement in the current kharif marketing season, thousands of farmers have not been able to sell their paddy to the government.
“Many farmers in western Odisha as well as other districts, are going through harrowing times during the paddy procurement and some of them are being forced to sell their produce below the minimum support price. The State government has no reply to farmers’ grievances over lapse of advance tokens issued to them.” Said Mohanty.
“Though farmers are spending sleepless nights in the mandis to guard their produces, the administration is least bothered about their plight. We will continue our protest for an indefinite period until the grievances of the farmers are addressed,” he added.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)