State BJP to hold kisan yatra in first week of Sep

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury/Edited by Sandeep Sahu

BHUBANESWAR, July 28: Accusing the Odisha government of indifference towards the interests of farmers in the state, the farmers’ wing of the state BJP has decided to organise Kisan Yatras across the state in the first week of September. The decision was taken today by the state executive committee of the farmers’ wing.

The state unit’s decision follows the decision of central leadership of the party to launch a Kisan Yatra throughout the country on August 16 which would culminate in the first week of September.

With elections less than a year away, the party doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned and is covering all sections of the society, especially farmers, which represents the country in a large number.

“The Odisha government is not giving priority to farmers in the state and is depriving them of their rights. They are neither getting seed in time during the sowing season nor do they get remunerative price for their crops,” Om Prakash Dhankhad, president of National BJP Kisan Morcha, told media persons here after attending the executive meeting of the Kisan Morcha in Odisha.

Charging the state government with failure to manage the natural calamities affecting crops, Dhankad also said that about 350 farmers have committed suicide in the last three years in the state due to the lackadaisical attitude of the government towards farmers’ problem.

The BJP leader also attacked the UPA government for pushing through the food security bill which he said would seriously affect the food chain in the country.

Speaking about the Kisan Yatra, he said the Yatra would go up to Raj Bhawan, where BJP leaders would hand over a ‘kisan adhikar patra’ (farmers rights letter) and demand its implementation. The state farmers’ wing also gave finishing touches to its own ‘kisan adhikar patra’ in the executive meeting.

Giving details about the letter, Dhankhad said farmers have the right to get remunerative price for their crops instead of minimum support price (MSP). Even the farmers’ commission had recommended profitable price to the farmers, said the BJP leader.

“The government should also not only ensure that farmers’ crop is purchased but a provision of bonus should also be made. The government should also introduce security during exigency for the farmers,”” the letter said.