Paddy MSP issue: Odisha’s ruling BJD stages mass dharna

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal Krushak Samukhya (BJDKS), the farmers’ wing of Odisha’s ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today staged a mass dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan here protesting Centre’s refusal to hike minimum support price (MSP) of paddy.

Several BJD leaders including Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera, Sanjay Das Burma and Pradeep Panigrahi were present at the dharna spot.

The party will also submit a memorandum to the President of India through the Governor of the state.

“BJD has asked Centre to seek apology from farmers. If Centre fails to meet our demand by November 27, we will start agitation in all 30 districts,” BJD general secretary Sanjay Das Burma had said.

The Centre should make its stand clear by November 27, he had said.

Worth mentioning, Deputy Economic Adviser in the Directorate of Economics and Statistics under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in a letter addressed to Rohit Pujari of BJD Krushak Samukhya had recently said that paddy farmers in Odisha are getting adequate return over their cost of production and there was no need to further enhance the MSP for paddy.

Participating in the 12th Standing Committee meeting of the Inter-State Council, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also urged for hike of minimum support price (MSP) for common paddy from Rs 1,470 per quintal to Rs 2,930 per quintal as non- remunerative MSP.