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Bhubaneswar: Ruling Biju Janata Dal Friday decided to hold a massive farmers’ rally at Sohela in Baragarh district, worst drought affected area in the Western region of Orissa November 19.
Party vice-president and senior party leader Surya Patro told mediapersons here Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will address the rally and apprise the farmers about the several taken by the state to tackle drought situation.
Accusing Congress and BJP of politicising the prevailing drought situation, Patro said, “The Opposition parties are misleading people over incidents of suicide by farmers.”
Expressing concern over the death of farmers in the state which is faced with drought, Patro said the rally was aimed at bolstering the confidence of farmers.
Coming down heavily on the Opposition, senior party leader Prasanna Acharya said those who use sensitive issues to gain political mileage are trying to de-motivate farmers and create discrimination among common people.
Lambasting the Opposition for playing ‘petty politics’, Western Orissa Development Council chairman Kishore Mohanty said the Naveen Patnaik government had stood firmly behind the farmers at this critical juncture and have assured all help.
The party held a preparatory meeting at the party head office in which party MLAs, MPs and senior leaders of 10 western districts participated.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Cong), dared the ruling party and the state government to deny the incidents of suicides by farmers. “Let the ruling party say that the government effectively managed the drought situation,” Mishra said.
Claiming that BJD was pushed to a corner over the spate of farmers’ suicide incidents, Mishra said, ‘‘They have developed fear psychosis after Rahul Gandhi’s rally in western Orissa earlier this year.”
BJP leader Prithiwiraj Harichandan also criticised BJD over its alleged inept handling of the drought situation.
The state government had earlier announced a drought package of Rs 1,000crore and demanded Rs 3500crore from the Centre after declaring 139 blocks of 21 districts as ‘drought-affected’.
