New Delhi: A 12-member delegation led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum to him demanding hike in minimum support price (MSP) for paddy.
After meeting the President, Patnaik said, “We, the members of Biju Janata Dal, met the President regarding the minimum support price for paddy. The BJP had promised in its 2014 poll manifesto to hike the paddy MSP. However, they did precious little in this regard. Despite repeated reminders through letters and phone calls seeking action for farmers’ cause, they did nothing. So, today we held a public meeting at Talkatora stadium and submitted a memorandum to the President in this connection.”
Patnaik, along with Biju Krushak Janata Dal president Prasanna Acharya, Health Minister Pratap Jena, Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, Dhenkanal MP Tathagata Satpathy, Balasore MP Rabindra Jena, Rajya Sabha member N Bhaskar Rao, MLAs Pramilla Mallick, Debiprasad Mishra, Sanjay Das Burma, Arun Sahoo and farmers Snigdha Patel and Ramani Ranjan Pradhan met Kovind at President’s Estate.