Patnaik keeps all guessing on BJD s stand on farm legislations
The bills are, however, yet to comeup for discussion in the assembly.Patra said that BJD MPs will demand implementation ofthe recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report forraising the minimum support price on all food grains.
PTI | Bhubaneswar | Updated: 27-01-2021 21:47 IST | Created: 27-01-2021 21:45 IST
The ruling BJD is yet toclear its stand on the three controversial farm legislationsthough barely a day is left for the commencement of thecrucial budget session of Parliamen when the issue is likelyto dominate the proceedings.
The parliamentary session begins on January 29.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had presided overthe BJD Parliamentary Party meeting here on January 25 but theissue relating to the controversial farm laws was notdiscussed.
Patnaik, who is also the BJD president, had, however,asked the MPs to raise 13 points including the demand for 33per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblypolls, the party's Rajya Sabha MP and national spokespersonSasmit Patra told the media.
Quizzed by the media about the party's stand on thefarm laws, he said ''I do not have information on the same(farm laws).
The Biju Janata Dal, which has 12 members in Lok Sabhaand nine MPs in Rajya Sabha, had supported the Centres threefarm bills in Lok Sabha. The regional party had changed itsstand later in Rajya Sabha and had demanded that then farmbills be referred to the Select Committee for furtherdiscussion.
The state government had earlier issued an ordinanceand later introduced three Bills in the Assembly in line withthe central legislations. The bills are, however, yet to comeup for discussion in the assembly.
Patra said that BJD MPs will demand implementation ofthe recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report forraising the minimum support price on all food grains. Theywill demand the doubling of the MSP for paddy, which is nowfixed at Rs 1868 per quintal.
The opposition BJP in Odisha has meanwhile made thealleged irregularities in the paddy procurement a major issuein the state. It has launched a major agitation in the westernregion of the state and accused the BJD government of notgiving proper MSP to farmers.
Senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy said the partyhas been fighting in the interest of the farmers and willcontinue to do so.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)