Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday visited several areas of coastal Odisha where unseasonal rain caused extensive damage to crops and met affected farmers.
According to sources, the former Chief Minister Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Cuttack districts. He interacted with affected farmers in rain-hit areas of Puri, Salepur in Cuttack, Balikuda in Jagatsinghpur and Pattamundai in Kendrapada. Many farmers including women met him and narrated their plight.
The farmers claimed that the crops would have been saved if they had received advance information about rain. The farmers further claimed that the government had not properly informed them about the crop insurance, a press release from the office of the LoP said.
Naveen assured the farmers that he is always with them and will continue to fight for their rights. The BJD chief alleged that the state government has failed to understand the suffering of the farmers.
It is a sad story that farmers are losing their lives every day in the state due to unseasonal rain, he said, claiming that the farmers no longer have any hope in the state government. He made a strong plea the government to immediately provide adequate compensation to the farmers.
He assured that he is always with the farmers.
During this visit, Naveen also met the family of a young farmer from Sarena village under Balikuda area of Jagatsinghpur district who has lost his life allegedly after crop loss.