Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s opposition BJD Thursday resolved to launch a state-wide agitation against the BJP government, accusing it of betraying the state’s people after getting their votes.
The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the apex body of the party, chaired by BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
The PAC meeting was attended by Patnaik’s political advisor Santrapta Mishra, senior vice president Debi Prasad Mishra, members Niranjan Pujari, Pramila Mallick, Sudam Marandi, Tukuni Sahu, Bikram Keshari Arukh, Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, Pranab Prakash Das and Sasmit Patra.
“The PAC discussed in detail issues such as betrayal of farmers, law and order situation, attacks on people from the minority community, unemployment, job scams and the Mahanadi water dispute. It was resolved that Odisha’s double-engine government has deceived farmers, who constitute 70 per cent of the state’s population,” Das Burma told reporters after the meeting.
He said the party has decided to launch a state-wide campaign against the government and highlight how the BJP failed to fulfil its 21 promises made to the people before the elections.
On the farmers’ issue, Das Burma said that the BJP had promised that the state government would procure all the paddy from farmers when it came to power and buy paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal by adding an input subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal along with the MSP.
“But after one year of the Kharif season, the government made all arrangements to discourage farmers from selling their produce at the state-run mandis. Instead, it said that the farmers should sell the surplus paddy in the open market,” he alleged.
Das Burma said the PAC also discussed the “extreme” law and order situation in the state, atrocities against minorities and Dalits, levying of additional tax on people in the name of pollution certificates, and widespread scams in various recruitment exams.
Stating that the BJD was committed to protecting the Mahanadi, the lifeline of Odisha, the party resolved that there will be no compromise on the interests of the people, he said, and alleged that the Chhattisgarh government has built more than 100 barrages in the upper reaches of the Mahanadi for which 13 districts of Odisha face an acute shortage of water during the non-monsoon season.
“The BJD will create awareness on how the double-engine government deceived the people of Odisha after taking their votes. Agitations will be held in each panchayat, urban wards, districts and assembly segments,” he said.
He said the date for the launch of the agitation will be announced soon.