Post News Network
Sambalpur, Dec 18: Furious protests by farmers are fanning across the western Orissa region as they intensified their demand for ensuring proper remuneration for paddy, even as the spate of farmer suicides continues unabated.
Thousands of farmers in nine western Orissa districts under the banner of Paschima Orissa Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti blocked national highways and state highways at 40 places Friday as part of their fight against what they termed as anti-farmer policies being pursued by the government.
Traffic on the highways was badly hit from 11 am till 2 pm Friday due to the road blockades.
The protesters demanded that the state government tender an unconditional apology to the farmers and take immediate measures to implement the farmers’ 12-point charter of demands. The farmer body warned of intensifying the protest further if the government failed to meet the demands.
They said public hearings would be conducted in the presence of the family members of the deceased farmers in a phased manner starting from January 2016. Programmes would be conducted in all the villages of western Orissa districts in February to make the farmers aware about the ‘injustice meted out to them’ by the state government. Later, a huge convention of the farmers would be conducted to condemn the step-motherly attitude of the state government, the protesters said. Over 50,000 farmers will attend the convention, said Samiti convener Ashok Kumar Pradhan.
Meanwhile, police have arrested 24 agitating farmers from Sundargarh district.
Murari Prasad Purohit, Utpanna Bhoi, Niranjan Bidrohi, Prasanna Patel, Dillip Badhei, Debendra Patel, Arun Mishra, Sanjay Tiwari, Rajendra Pradhan and Babu Bhukta led the protests in various districts.
The farmers blocked the Kuturukhama highway between Bhawanipatna and Jungarh in Kalahandi district; Khatakhatia under Kantamal block, Subarnapur block square, Budharaja square and Raxa Square of Boudh district. Other places of agitation included Chhuinbandha, Patharchepa and Khaliapali of Bolangir district; Khariar police station square in Nuapada district; traffic square, Tileibani and Barkote in Deogarh district; Badamal, Durlaga, Panchagaon and Patrapali of Jharsuguda district; Kundukela of Sundargarh; Rengali camp, Kalapani, Bhatli, Bhukta, Dashamaili, Sohela, Gaisilet, Kanasingha, Jamseth and Sahanratikra of Bargarh; Bamra, Keseibahal, Bhojpur, Jamankira, Jayantpur, Sindurpanka, Talaba, Bareipali, Goshala, Maneswar and Rairakhol of Sambalpur district.
