What BJD Has Done For Farmers In 21 Years: BJP’s Pradip Purohit

Bhubaneswar: The farmers across Odisha are not able to sell their produce, mostly paddy in mandis and the token system introduced by the State government has compounded their miseries, alleged BJP leader Pradip Purohit on Friday.

Though the Centre has fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) at Rs 1868 per quintal of paddy, the farmers are not getting the benefits. The millers are forcing them to sell their produce after deductions ranging 2 to 10 kgs per quintal, alleged Purihit, the State President of BJP Kishan Morcha.

He futher alleged that the millers are providing the benefit derived after such deductions to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

BJP Kishan Morcha President Pradip Purohit targets #Odisha govt over farmers' issues; says, "Farmers are in distress over 'Katni Chhatni' & token system in paddy procurement. They are forced to sell paddy at low price as govt does not have control over millers."

— OTV (@otvnews) December 11, 2020

“What the State government has done for the development of farmers in the last 21 years. Though it is passing resolutions in Assembly, it has failed to ensure that farmers sell their produce at MSP fixed by the Centre,” said Purohit.

Millers are directly interfering in the procurement process and forcing farmers to sell their paddy after deducting 2 to 10 kgs per quintal. What step has the Odisha government taken to stop such exploitation, questioned the BJP leader.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Odisha government in Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister here on Wednesday passed a resolution to press for formulation of MSP on all crops aimed at doubling the farmers’ income.

During the Cabinet meet, the State government had also decided to move the Centre for implementation of MS Swaminathan committee report on minimum support price (MSP).

Meanwhile, the BJD leaders could not be contacted over the allegations levelled by BJP’s Pradip Purohit.