Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP’s “double-engine” government in Odisha after state Supplies Minister KC Patra expressed concern over the delay by Food Corporation of India (FCI) in lifting custom-milled rice from the state.
The BJD alleged that Patra’s remarks vindicated its charge of “central negligence” towards the state under the BJP government.
Patra, while addressing a function of the state Civil Supplies Department Thursday evening, said the FCI was not lifting rice according to the targets fixed for it.
“Though I have taken up the issue with the central minister and other authorities several times, the FCI is not showing any interest in lifting rice from Odisha. This hurts us. I fail to understand why FCI was soft towards other states and annoyed us,” Patra said.
The minister said the state government’s hands were tied and it would face difficulty in undertaking fresh paddy procurement unless the FCI lifted the rice from godowns.
“Once again, I have to take a high-level delegation to Delhi to press for faster lifting of rice by the FCI,” Patra said, adding that the state government had paid Rs 30,000 crore to farmers for paddy procurement last time.
BJD vice-presidents Sanjay Das Burma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the minister’s remarks had vindicated their party’s repeated allegations that the Centre was neglecting Odisha.
“The BJP minister has himself admitted the central negligence that the FCI was not lifting rice as per the targets fixed by it,” Das Burma said at a press conference.
They alleged that around 18 lakh metric tonnes of rice were lying in the state due to the delay in lifting.
“If the stocks are not cleared soon, the state government cannot go for fresh paddy procurement. It is a matter of regret that the state BJP minister’s pleas are not heard by a central government agency. The Union minister also does not pay any heed to the Odisha problem,” they alleged.
The BJD leaders asked Patra to raise the issue in the upcoming Odisha Assembly session and take up the matter with the Centre on an urgent basis.
They also warned that the party would take to the streets if the situation was not resolved soon.
Meanwhile, Opposition Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja also targeted the state government and accused Patra of shifting responsibility to the Centre.
“The ‘double-engine’ BJP government has failed to resolve Odisha issues. If FCI does not lift rice, how will paddy procurement take place? The state minister should be accountable,” Saluja said.
