Bhubaneswar: Legislators of the ruling BJD staged a dharna in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi inside the Odisha Legislative Assembly campus here on Tuesday, demanding hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy.
Soon after adjournment of the House on the inaugural day of winter session, the BJD MLAs gathered holding placards and banners seeking immediate fulfillment of their demand to increase the MSP for paddy to Rs 2,930 per quintal from the existing Rs 1, 550.
“The BJP, in its poll manifesto, had promised the people to double the MSP of paddy, but it has betrayed us after coming to power by raising the same by a meagre sum of Rs 80 per quintal,” BJD deputy chief whip Rohit Pujari said.
On Monday, the ruling party had staged a demonstration before Raj Bhawan here over the same demand and later submitted a memorandum to Governor Dr SC Jamir addressed to President of India Ram Nath Kovind regarding the issue.
