Bargarh: Calling the ruling BJP “anti-farmer,” opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Monday held a farmers’ rally in Bargarh, Odisha’s rice bowl, demanding a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,100 per quintal for paddy, simplification of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) norms, and an end to farmer exploitation during procurement.
The rally, attended by thousands of farmers from all the districts of the state’s western region, criticised the BJP government’s agriculture policy in Odisha.
Speaking at the event, BJD MLA and farmers’ wing leader Prasanna Acharya alleged that in the last 14 months under the “double-engine government,” the problems of Odisha’s farmers have only intensified.
“The BJP promised a lot, but farmers have only faced increasing exploitation and systemic failures,” Acharya claimed.
The party submitted a memorandum to Bargarh DC, to be conveyed to the President of India, highlighting urgent farmer issues.
“The state government had imposed a complicated registration process for farmers, which clearly reflected its anti-farmer stance. This complex process was intended to exclude farmers from selling their paddy. BJD had opposed this decision, and due to the collective voice of the farmers under the party’s leadership, the state government hastily withdrew the decision Sunday,” the memorandum said.
It also alleged that farmers were not getting the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana introduced by the BJP government.
The insurance companies get benefit while farmers suffer, the BJD claimed, adding that there is a huge deduction on the weight of paddy at the government mandis.
“The BJP’s election promises, such as procurement without deductions, middlemen-free mandis, and payments within 48 hours, have become a joke,” it said, alleging that the BJP government has denied benefits to sharecroppers and marginal farmers in the CM Kisan Scheme.
The Swaminathan Commission had recommended providing Minimum Support Price (MSP) at 1.5 times the cost of production, the party said, adding that the BJP government did not implement it.
“During an election rally in Bargarh, Prime Minister had promised an MSP of Rs 3,100 per quintal for paddy. That promise, however, has vanished into thin air. Hence, the BJD demands that MSP be fixed in line with the Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations and be made a legal right,” the memorandum added.
