Ahead of rural polls, BJD, BJP exchange barbs

Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit the streets Tuesday against the Centre and the state government respectively ahead of the three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha.

The BJD activists staged a sit-in in front of the regional office of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) here demanding lifting of surplus parboiled rice from Odisha. On the other hand BJP workers tried to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence over teacher Mamita Meher murder case in Kalahandi.

The BJD leaders threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the Centre does not take steps to lift surplus parboiled rice at the earliest.

BJD spokeswoman Shreemayee Mishra said, “Odisha is the third largest contributor of rice to the PDS in the country and around 95 per cent rice produced in the state is parboiled. As per the constitutional provisions, the Centre is supposed to lift the surplus rice. However, it is refusing to lift the surplus rice.”

During 2020-21 fiscal, Odisha produced 52 lakh tonne of parboiled rice and FCI was supposed to lift 22 lakh tonne of rice. But, the FCI has decided to lift only 2 lakh tonnes of raw rice and 5 lakh tonne of parboiled rice from Odisha. This will cause much agony to the farmers and millers in Odisha, informed the BJD leader.

The refusal of the Central government to lift the surplus rice has affected the life and livelihood of the farmers. The BJP MPs, instead of fighting for the rights of the farmers of Odisha state, are working against their interests, she alleged.

Farmers of Kalahandi, Bolangir, Baragarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Nuapada, Deogarh and Nabarangpur districts have been badly affected by the apathetic attitude of the Central government, Mishra said.

A BJD delegation submitted a memorandum in this regard to the FCI DGM Dillip Sethy. The FCI has huge stocks of parboiled rice for the next five years and it has no more space to stock the rice, Sethy said.

BJP state unit president Samir Mohanty, however, dubbed the BJD protest a drama to cover up the corruption and mismanagement in the Mandi and its nexus with the mill owners.

On the other hand, the BJP took out a rally to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence seeking justice for teacher Mamita Meher.

The party workers sought the resignation of Minister of State (MoS) for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra. Besides, they sought a CBI probe into the matter.

The workers of BJP Mahila Morcha blocked the road near Sishu Bhawan square in the city here. Some workers of the party tried to break the police barricade and march towards the Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra, an accused in the murder case, is yet to be arrested. Chargesheet has not been filed against prime accused Gobinda Sahu.  The Chief Minister has failed to give justice to the victim,” said BJP leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar.

Though 120 days have already passed since the incident, the state government has failed to give justice to the victim and her family. No action has been taken against the minister and BJD leaders involved in the crime, said BJP’s Bhubaneswar unit president Babu Singh.