KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched 10-day long state wide protests against the Naveen Patnaik government over farmers’ issue in Odisha from today.
The saffron party staged demonstrations at all the 314 blocks across the state alleging that the government-approved pesticide had failed to stop pest attack on the paddy crops during this year’s Kharif season that led to massive crops loss. The protest will continue till November 17, the party informed.
Addressing a press meet on Sunday, BJP’s legislature party leader Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said, “The pest attacks started during September-end but it was ignored by the State Government and the substandard quality of pesticides, approved by the government, has come to fore now.”
Singh Deo had also targeted the State Agriculture Minister for insulting the helpless farmers with his unpretentious remarks.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also slammed the State Government on Monday for the rising number of farmer suicides in the State saying, “This is the result of anti-farmers’ policy of Naveen Government in the last 17 years”.
Notably, the Odisha government on Monday announced a package of 124 crore rupees for the farmers affected by pest attack in different areas of the state during this Kharif season.
According to official sources, a whopping 1.78 lakh hectare land in nine districts in western Odisha have been damaged by massive pest attack. In last ten days, nine farmers have ended their lives over crop loss due to pest attack.
Ms Kalinga