The Odisha Assembly witnessed pandemonium for the fourth straight day on Saturday, as opposition BJD and Congress MLAs continued their protest over alleged mismanagement in the state’s paddy procurement process.
Holding placards and banners, opposition members stormed the Well of the House and shouted anti-government slogans. The persistent chaos forced Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn proceedings.
The Speaker had called an all-party meeting on Friday to resolve the deadlock, but it failed to yield any result as pandemonium continued on Saturday.
As soon as the House assembled for the day today at 10.30 am, opposition BJD and Congress members, raising slogans, rushed to the Well. Similar scenes were witnessed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Padhy urged the members to cooperate and return to their seats, but her appeals fell on deaf ears. The House first adjourned till 11.30 am, but as similar scenes continued upon resumption of proceedings, she extended the adjournment till 4 pm.
Congress members, donning black headbands, highlighted the struggles of farmers at state-run mandis. While Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has pledged that the government will procure the entire paddy from farmers, the opposition demanded assurance from the administration to stop the practice of ‘katchi-chhatni’.
‘Katni-chhatni’ refers to illegal deduction of paddy weight, often 7-8 kg per quintal, at the state-run mandis.
Additionally, the opposition is calling for a unified payment of Rs 3,169 per quintal, which combines the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the promised input subsidy.
Prasanna Acharya, the BJD’s deputy leader of the opposition, said, “Since day one, the government has been saying it would procure paddy and farmers would get a proper price. Has it happened so far? Farmers are not being given Rs 3,169 per quintal, and there is huge ‘katni-chhatni’… Whatever payment is made comes too late.”
Acharya, who hails from Bargarh district, which is dubbed as the “rice bowl of Odisha”, said the opposition does not want disruption in the House.
“The government is not listening to the farmers. What has been announced is not being implemented in the procurement centres (mandis). Let the government bring a motion to discuss the matter,” Acharya said.
Speaking to the reporters outside the assembly, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam accused the BJP of ignoring farmers and forcing them into distress sales of paddy.
“The BJP made announcements keeping an eye on farmers’ votes, but after coming to power, did not keep its promises. The BJP announced Rs 800 input subsidy per quintal of paddy, but the government is now giving Rs 731. The farmers are at the receiving end,” Kadam said.
Former Agriculture Minister and BJD member Arun Kumar Sahoo added that the government is ‘misleading’ the public and damaging the state’s economy by weakening the agricultural sector.
BJP member Sanatan Bijuli, however, condemned the opposition for regularly disrupting the assembly proceedings. “The opposition activities are anti-farmer and anti-women,” Bijuli alleged.
Meanwhile, BJD members also called for the resignation of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister K.C. Patra.
