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Odisha
Bhubaneswar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP ) MLA from Deogarh, Subash Chandra Panigrahi created a flutter in the Odisha Assembly on Friday when he threatened self-immolation over the delay in the paddy procurement process at several mandis across the State.
Peeved at the irregularities in paddy procurement and faulty token system of the State government, hundreds of farmers from across Odisha continue to stage protests by blocking roads in different parts of the State.
To draw attention of the government towards the plight of farmers, Panigrahi staged a dharna in the well of the House demanding immediate procurement of paddy at various mandis in the State.
"I will set myself on fire if the procurement process was not streamlined and the produce of the farmers were procured at the earliest," said an aggrieved Panigrahi.
He returned to his seat following a request made by the Speaker Surya Narayan Patra.
"The farmers of the State have become victims of sheer apathy of the State government. Many farmers are yet to sell their produce due to delay and glitches in token generation," Panigrahi alleged during the Zero Hour.
"I will commit suicide if their problems are not solved immediately," he repeated his threats.
It is worth mentioning that earlier on November 22 Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati had threatened in the Assembly to slit his throat if the State government went ahead with its decision to shut down 14,000 primary and upper primary schools on the pretext of consolidation and rationalisation.
