The Odisha Assembly today witnessed pandemonium and
frequent adjournments over farmers
issue for the seventh consecutive day with opposition Congress and BJP demanding unanimous resolution to increase minimum support price (MSP) on paddy.
The issue was raised as soon as the House assembled for the question hour. The Congress members rushed to the well of the House demanding passing of a resolution for increasing the MSP on paddy to Rs 2,800. The BJP members keep on standing near their seats in support of the Congress's demand.
Unable to run the House, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the proceeding several times. The opposition members also raised questions on the ruling BJD's lack of interest in passing unanimous resolution in regard to MSP.
Agriculture Minister Pradeep Kumar Maharathy, however, rejected the opposition allegation and claimed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written at least three letters to the Centre seeking enhancement of the MSP on paddy.
"The Chief Minister has written to the Prime Minister on the MSP matter on January 1, 2015, December 8, 2015 and again on December 24, 2916. Therefore, nobody should suspect the state goevrnment's sincerity towards farmers." Maharathy said.
Stating that enhancement of the MSP on food grains was the responsibility of the Centre, the agriculture minister said the state government has been demanding to increase the MSP on paddy to Rs 2500 per quintal. The state govenrment has also formally submitted its demand before the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices, Maharathy said.
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