New Delhi: Farmers from Odisha will hold a day-long protest under the banner of Biju Krushak Janata Dal (BKJD) at Talkatora Stadium here January 8 to demand increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2,930.
Briefing the media on the issue, Odisha Health Minister Pratap Jena said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will address the protestors and lead a delegation to President Ram Nath Kovind to submit a memorandum in this regard. The minister also said that all BJD MPs, MLAs, panchayat representatives and farmer leaders from the state will sit in dharna along with a number of farmers.
A special train carrying farmers from the state will reach Delhi a day before the protest.
BKJD president Prasanna Acharya said that it’s a long standing demand of Odisha and a unanimous resolution has also been passed in the State Assembly to fix paddy MSP at Rs 2,930.
“After BJP came into power in 2014, there was a circular issued that no state can fix the MSP of paddy and it would be fixed by the Union government only. MSP is a subject decided by the Central government. If a state government increases the MSP of paddy then the Food Corporation of India will not procure additional paddy from the state,” said Prasanna Acharya. He further said that the Union must clear its stand on the rights of state to hike MSP.
During the media briefing, the BJD leaders also explained the features of KALIA scheme launched by the state government for the welfare of farmers.
BJD MPs Tathagata Satpathy, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Prasanna Patsani, Pratap Keshari Deb, Sidhant Mohapatra and Rabindra Jena were also present during the briefing.