BJD to hold farmers’ rally in Bargarh on August 18

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will hold a massive farmers’ rally in Bargarh on August 18 over the alleged anti-farmers policies of the BJP governments both in state and at the centre. Decision to this effect was taken during a meeting at the Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar today.

As claimed by the conch party, the farmers’ registration process was very simple while the BJD was in the power but now it has become so complicated that the farmers cannot register themselves to sell their paddy.

The state government has now made new rules for farmer registration as the fewer farmers are registered, the less input support they will get, alleged the BJD leader adding that the agriculture has declined in the state in the last year and the growth rate in the agriculture sector has fallen to 3.8%.

Similarly, the central aid to the agriculture sector has decreased by 18.19% as the governments have forgotten their election promises and the farmers are being exploited, the BJD claimed.

Reacting over the allegation of BJD and its decision to hold a massive farmers’ rally in Bargarh on August 18, BJP MLA Ashok Mohanty alleged that the BJD government had announced to provide a bonus of Rs 100 to the farmers, which id did not.

The farmers are very happy as they are getting a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3100 per quintal of paddy from the state and central government, Mohanty said.

“The farmers are in trouble because the mentality of the BJD leaders is such. The BJD leaders are in trouble as the government schemes are reaching at the doorstep of the people. There is no problem in holding protests. But since they have not done anything, they have no right to protest,” the saffron leader stated.