Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to stage a demonstration before the Parliament in New Delhi on January 8, demanding a hike in the minimum support price minimum support price (MSP) of paddy.
The party will protest against the apathetic attitude of Centre towards Odisha’s longstanding demand for implementation of Swaminathan Committee recommendations and Rs 2,930 MSP for paddy per quintal.
Senior BJD leader and newly appointed Biju Krushak Janata Dal (BKJD) president Prasanna Acharya, Debi Prasad Mishra, Sanjay Dasburma and Pratap Jena informed at a press meet Monday. The Rajya Sabha member said that the Centre had betrayed the farmers of Odisha with the false assurance to increase the MSP of paddy.
They also alleged that the Prime Minister had no time to discuss the issue with the members of the all-party House Committee of the State Assembly. He informed that all the BJD MPs, MLAs, Zilla Parishad members and party workers will march to New Delhi boarding a special train January 6 and press for the demand January 8.
“We will urge the Centre to hike the paddy MSP in accordance with the recommendation of the Swaminathan Committee,” he pointed out.
Besides Prasanna Acharya, the BJD headquarters press meet here was also addressed by BKJD secretary general Pratap Jena, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra, general secretary Sanjay Das Burma and MP Balabhadra Majhi.
Notably, Odisha Assembly March 25, 2017 has passed a unanimous resolution demanding Rs 2,930 MSP to each farmer of Odisha for paddy per quintal so that social and financial security of the farmers in the State here could get ensured.
PNN
