Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly witnessed pandemonium for the fourth consecutive day Saturday as Opposition BJD and Congress MLAs created a ruckus over the alleged mismanagement in paddy procurement.
Opposition members raised anti-government slogans, displayed placards and banners near the Speaker’s podium, leading to the adjournment of proceedings.
Speaker Surama Padhy had called an all-party meeting Friday to resolve the deadlock, but it failed to yield any result as pandemonium continued Saturday.
As soon as the House assembled for the day at 10.30 am, Opposition BJD and Congress members, raising slogans, rushed to the Well. Similar scenes were witnessed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Padhy urged the members to cooperate and return to their seats, but her appeals fell on deaf ears. She first adjourned the House till 11.30 am, but as similar scenes continued upon resumption of proceedings, she extended the adjournment till 4 pm.
Congress members, wearing black headbands, highlighted the problems faced by farmers at state-run mandis.
Despite Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announcing on the floor of the House that the government will procure the entire paddy from farmers, the Opposition members demanded assurance from the administration to stop the practice of ‘katchi-chhatni’.
‘Katni-chhatni’ refers to illegal deduction of paddy weight, often 7-8 kg per quintal, at the state-run mandis.
They also demanded the payment of Rs 3,169 per quintal of paddy, comprising both MSP and input subsidy.
Deputy leader of the Opposition Prasanna Acharya of BJD said, Since day one, the government has been saying it would procure paddy and farmers would get a proper price. Has it happened so far? Farmers are not being given Rs 3,169 per quintal, and there is huge ‘katni-chhatni’… Whatever payment is made comes too late.
Acharya, who hails from Bargarh district, which is dubbed the rice bowl of Odisha, said the Opposition does not want disruption in the House.
The government is not listening to the farmers. What has been announced is not being implemented in the procurement centres (mandis). Let the government bring a motion to discuss the matter, Acharya said.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam alleged that the state government was ignoring the plights of farmers, who are being forced to go for distress sale of paddy.
The BJP made announcements keeping an eye on farmers’ votes, but after coming to power, did not keep its promises. The BJP announced an Rs 800 input subsidy per quintal of paddy, but the government is now giving Rs 731. The farmers are at the receiving end, Kadam said.
BJD member and former agriculture minister Arun Kumar Sahoo alleged that the BJP government was misleading people and is crippling the state’s economy by weakening the farmers.
BJP member Sanatan Bijuli, however, condemned the Opposition for regularly disrupting the assembly proceedings.
The Opposition activities are anti-farmer and anti-women, Bijuli alleged.
The BJD members also demanded the resignation of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister K C Patra.
