Odisha Elections 2024: BJP Dubs BJD Govt ‘Anti-Farmer’, Alleges Rs 1 Lakh Crore Corruption In Paddy Procurement

Bhubaneswar: Dubbing the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha as ‘anti-farmer’, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday alleged that corruption to the tune of Rs one lakh crore has taken place in the procurement of paddy in the state.

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal mounted a scathing attack on the Naveen Patnaik government accusing it having failed to fulfil the promises made by the ruling party during the last elections.

Claiming that the state witnessed a leadership crisis during the BJD rule, he accused the state government of neglecting agriculture and farmers though this key sector remained the mainstay of the state’s economy.

While around 80 per cent of the people in the state depended on agriculture, the state government failed to address the issues faced by the farmers. As a result, lakhs of youths are forced to move to other states as migrant workers, while the plight of the farmers became more miserable, the BJP leader claimed.

Accusing the BJD government of being anti-farmer, Samal said each farmer earns around Rs 1.5 lakh per month, while those in Odisha struggle to get Rs 5,000 every month as the government failed to strengthen infrastructure in the farm sector.

Claiming that the ruling BJD has done nothing for strengthening irrigation, the BJP leader said that farmers are facing problems as the state government failed to utilise funds sent by the Centre to boost irrigation.

The Naveen Patnaik government also failed to set up cold storages and build seven barrages on river Mahanadi as promised by the ruling party, Samal said, adding that many agro-based industries were shut down due to the apathy of the government.

Alleging massive irregularities in paddy procurement, the senior BJP leader claimed that corruption to the tune of Rs one lakh crore took place in procurement of paddy as the state government encouraged middlemen and corrupt functionaries.

Samal said paddy will be procured at Rs 3100 per quintal and 100 per cent irrigation facilities will be ensured in the state by 2029 if BJP is voted to power in the state in the upcoming elections.

Dismissing the state BJP chief’s allegation as false and baseless, BJD MP Sasmit Patra accused the saffron party of shedding crocodile tears over farmers’ issues.

Accusing BJP of doing nothing to mitigate the plight of farmers, he said the Odisha Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution way back in 2017 for raising the MSP for paddy to Rs 2930.

However, BJP leaders and the Central government failed to take any step in this regard in all these years as they are not worried over the problems faced by farmers, he claimed.