Bargarh: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday accused the Centre of showing gross apathy towards Odisha’s farmers.
Addressing a public meeting at Attabira in Bargarh district, he said the BJP had, in its 2014 manifesto, promised to double the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy. The state government waited for implementation of this announcement, “but five years have passed and nothing has been done till date”.
The chief minister said the Odisha Assembly had formed a House Committee to take up the issue with the Prime Minister and press for its demand. But the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) did not have even two minutes to listen to the House Committee. “Even more pathetic was that the two Union ministers from Odisha did not open their mouth,” he rued.
He further said that the Centre had slapped GST on the state’s weavers without realising their poor economic condition. “It withdrew the GST after my government vehemently protested,” he said.
The chief minister also said that Odisha had repeatedly urged the Centre to include Koshali language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India but to no avail.
