- Massive protest in front of Raj Bhavan
- The fertilizer crisis is a conspiracy to avoid paying higher bonus to farmers
- Government failed to ensure fertilizer supply and control black marketing
- Such a situation has never arisen in the past two decades
Bhubaneswar, 15/09/2025: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today staged a massive protest in front of the Raj Bhavan alleging that farmers across the state are distressed due to the shortage of fertilizers and attacked the State Government for its failure. At the peak of the Kharif season, the State Government has completely failed to supply fertilizers. The BJD alleged that since higher Kharif paddy production would compel the State Government to pay more bonus to farmers, the Government has deliberately created a shortage of fertilizers to restrict agricultural production.
As per the pre-scheduled program, a massive protest was held today in front of Raj Bhavan. Thousands of farmers along with BJD leaders and workers participated. Senior party leaders alleged that farmers are facing immense difficulties in Kharif cultivation and the State Government has totally failed both in ensuring fertilizer supply and in preventing black marketing. Though the official price of a fertilizer bag is Rs 242, it is being sold in the open market at exorbitant rates ranging from Rs. 800 to Rs. 1000. In the past two decades, farmers of the state have never faced such an unprecedented crisis.
Following the outbreak of the shortage, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Shri Naveen Patnaik had written to the Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals, requesting adequate supply of fertilizers to Odisha. However, there has been no positive outcome. The Chief Minister has reviewed the situation twice. The state government claims that there is sufficient quantity of fertilizer in the state but reports are being published in the media that the farmers from almost all districts of the state are taking to the streets due to lack of fertilizer. BJD leaders strongly alleged that to avoid paying higher bonus on paddy procurement, the State Government has conspired to reduce Kharif production by creating this artificial shortage.
After the protest, a BJD delegation went inside the Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to the Hon’ble Governor, apprising him of the grave situation arising out of the shortage of fertilizers. Senior BJD leaders and office bearers of the Biju Krushak Janata Dal, Shri Prasanna Acharya and Senior Vice President Shri Debi Prasad Mishra, briefed the Hon’ble Governor on the farmers’ issue due to non-availability of fertilizers. The memorandum urged the Governor to intervene and ensure proper arrangements for fertilizer supply in the state.
The delegation that met the Hon’ble Governor included senior party leaders Shri Prasanna Acharya, Shri Debi Prasad Mishra, Shri Pradeep Amat, Shri Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, Shri Pratap Keshari Deb, Shri Pratap Jena, Shri Prafulla Samal, Shri Chandrasekhar Sahu, Shri Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Shri Pritiranjan Gharai, Shri Byomkesh Ray, Shri Dhruba Charan Sahu, Shri Sudam Marandi, Shri Pranab Balabantaray, Dr Amar Patnaik, Shri Prashant Muduli, Smt. Sulata Deo, Shri Subhashish Khuntia, Shri Anant Narayan Jena, Shri Susanta Rout, Shri Pradeep Sahu, Shri Gautam Buddha Das, Shri Devi Ranjan Tripathi, Shri Ganeshwar Behera, Shri Souvic Biswal, Shri Sunil Mohanty, Shri Sudarshan Haripal, Smt. Sujata Sahu, Shri Bijay Nayak, Shri Rajendra Sahu, Shri Manmath Routray, Shri Chinmay Sahu, Smt. Ipsita Sahu, Dr. Ramakant Bhoi, Shri Nrushingha Sahu, Shri Prafulla Singh, Shri Bikram Panda, Shri Jagannath Saraka, Shri Bhrugu Baxipatra, Shri Mahesh Sahu, Dr.Lekhasri Samantsinghar, Smt. Latika Pradhan, Smt. Ranjita Sahu, Shri Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik, Shri Padmanabha Behera, Shri Pradeep Majhi, Shri Sudhir Samal, Shri Rudra Maharathi, Shri Umakant Samantaraya, Shri Amaresh Patri, Shri Sanjit Mohanty, Shri Sukant Nayak, Shri Swaroop Kumar Das, Shri Purna Chandra Swain, Shri Sandeep Sadangi, Shri Kailash Patra, Shri Subrata Chhatoi.
