BJP said on Monday they would give Rs 3,100 for each quintal of paddy and free electricity to farmers if they win in Odisha.
The BJP’s leader in Odisha, Manmohan Samal, said that farmers in the state are often ignored by the current government, and they earn very little compared to farmers in other places.
Samal spoke at a meeting of the BJP Krushak Morcha at the party office. He said that the government hasn’t been able to properly buy paddy from farmers, and the markets are controlled by rice mill owners. Because of this, farmers don’t get the right price for their crops.
He also mentioned that farmers in the state struggle because they don’t have enough water for their fields or places to store their produce. There’s also corruption in buying tools for farming.
Samal promised that his party would hold meetings with farmers in many places and assure them that the BJP would listen to their needs. They would buy paddy from them for Rs 3,100 per quintal, which is higher than what the Central government has promised.
This outreach to farmers will continue until March 12.
New Councils Face Same Problems as 2 Municipal Corporations
The BJP’s spokesperson in Odisha, Pitambar Acharya, criticized the government’s decision to create 35 new Notified Area Councils (NAC) without following proper procedures. He said this would only lead to more legal problems.
Creating these new councils without getting approval from the state cabinet and Assembly is a trick to confuse voters before the elections. The government knows this decision can’t be put into action without following the rules properly. Acharya said this is just another false promise from the government.
If the government really meant it, they would have followed the right steps. People who are unhappy with this decision will probably take it to court, just like what happened with the municipal corporations in Rourkela and Sambalpur. Elections couldn’t be held there for the past five years because the matter is in the Orissa High Court.
