Odisha Congress unit attacks Center, State for 'betraying' farmers

The Odisha Congress Friday accused both the Centre and State Government of "betraying" the farmers. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik told reporters here that the party would hit the streets if the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and BJD regime fail to fulfil the promised they had made to the farmers.

Noting that Congress has already promised to waive farm loans if it is voted to power in Odisha, Patnaik said neither the Centre nor the BJD government in Odisha had taken concrete steps to provide a bonus and remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers for their produce.

Asking Naveen Patnaik government to learn from the new Congress government in Chhattisgarh, the OPCC chief said it should announce a bonus for farmers in Odisha. The BJD government should provide immediate assistance to the farmers who have been severely affected by heavy rains triggered by the recent Cyclone Phethai, he said. Reacting to Patnaik remarks, Odisha Food Supplies Minister S N Patro claimed that the state government is unable to announce a bonus for paddy above the fixed MSP because of guidelines of the Centre.