Sambalpur: Asking the state government to clear its stand on river Mahanadi and stop making Aadhaar cards mandatory for direct benefit transfer of their payments, farmers staged protests in 10 district headquarters of western Orissa Monday, reports said.
The farmers under the aegis of Western Orissa Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti, a farmers’ outfit, took out rallies in the district headquarters of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Boudh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Subarnapur, Bolangir, Nuapada and Kalahandi. The rallies culminated outside the respective collectorates. Farmers’ representatives from various parts participated in the rallies.
Accusing the state and Centre of overlooking their problems, the agitating farmers demanded immediate release of agricultural input subsidy and crop insurance for drought-affected peasants.
They warned of intensifying their agitation if their demands are not met at earliest. Later, the agitators submitted memoranda to their respective collectors. The memoranda addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik comprised a four-point charter of demands.
Addressing the protesters, farmer leaders said over 200 farmers have committed suicide due to drought, debt burden and crop loss in 2015. The suicides have traumatised their families and shaken up their social and financial status, the agitators said.
The government instead of combating the situation has refused to accept that the farmers have committed suicide, the protesters alleged, adding this has come as a rude shock to the bereaved families.
The drought assistance announced by the state government is yet to be made available to beneficiaries as it is gathering dust under the files, they said.
Besides, most of the farmers in the state are yet to receive input subsidy of Rs 100 and crop insurance benefits as the government has maintained silence on the issue, the farmer leaders alleged.
They flayed the decision to make Aadhaar cards mandatory for registration during paddy procurement when the state government itself has admitted that 32 per cent of farmers are yet to receive Aadhaar cards.
The farmer leaders termed the move as anti-farmer and appeasement of paddy traders. While the Chhattisgarh government is constructing dams in the upstream of river Mahanadi in a bid to supply water to industrial units, the state government is also conspiring to kill the river by supplying water on the downstream of Hirakud dam to industries, the farmers alleged.
They demanded that the state government should review the 1983 inter-state agreement and stress on a bilateral treaty with the Chhattisgarh government.
Niranjan Bidrohi led the protests at Bhawanipatna while Murari Prasad Purohit presided over a protest meeting of farmers in Sambalpur. Convener of Western Orissa Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti Ashok Kumar Pradhan, farmer leaders Hari Shankar Purohit, Byomokesh Thakur, Geetanjali Pradhan, Biranchi Narayan Pati and others took part in the agitation. PNN
