Farmers are being forced to fight on the streets for their rights: BJD
- Since the BJP came to power, farmers’ problems have been continuously increasing
- The government is exploiting farmers in the name of “cutni-chhatni”
- BJP is shedding crocodile tears for farmers
Bhubaneswar, 19/05/2026: The promises made by the BJP for the farming community during the 2024 General Elections have turned out to be hollow. The BJP government, which had promised to provide an input subsidy of Rs. 800 along with MSP to farmers, is instead exploiting them, alleged the Biju Janata Dal sharply.
Addressing a press conference held today at Sankha Bhawan, former Minister and party Vice-President Shri Sanjay Kumar Das Burma and MLA as well as party Senior General Secretary Shri Byomkesh Ray said that due to the anti-farmer policies of the BJP government, farmers are being forced to come onto the streets to fight for their rights. At a time when farmers’ issues in the state are taking a serious turn, the government remains busy celebrating events. They said it is condemnable that the BJP, which pretends to sympathize with farmers, is actually adopting an indifferent attitude towards the farming community.
Shri Sanjay Kumar Das Burma stated that before coming to power, the BJP had assured the farmers of Odisha that it would procure paddy by providing an input subsidy of Rs. 800 along with MSP and would purchase all surplus marketable paddy from farmers. However, despite two financial years having passed, due to the government’s incompetence, the farming community is going through severe hardship today. As victims of BJP’s false promises, farmers are now repeatedly forced to stage protests on the streets for registration, for tokens, for opening of mandis, and for selling the crops earned through their hard labour. The cries and anguish of thousands of farmers in front of PACS and LAMPS across the state have become headline news throughout the country today. In Western Odisha, known as the food granary of the state, farmers have launched protests and are roaring on the streets against the government’s discriminatory attitude towards the farming community. It is unfortunate and painful that due to the government’s indifferent attitude, farmers are being forced to commit suicide. The BJP should fulfil its election promises and resolve farmers’ issues. If the government fails to take concrete steps regarding farmers’ problems in the future, the Biju Janata Dal will intensify its agitation for farmers’ rights.
Shri Byomkesh Ray stated that a record quantity of paddy had been produced during the Kharif season. The paddy procured last year was still lying in huge quantities with the government and millers. The government had no storage space left to procure this year’s paddy, which the Chief Minister himself admitted during the Eastern Region Agricultural Conference. From the very beginning, the government attempted to reduce paddy procurement this year. The government complicated the registration process and insulted farmers by declaring that no farmer would be allowed to sell more than 150 quintals of paddy. Since the BJP came to power, not only have farmers faced difficulties, but incidents of rape, gang rape, and atrocities against women have also increased alarmingly in the state. According to the NCRB report, Odisha now ranks number one in such crimes. The government should immediately resolve the problems of the farming community, otherwise the BJD will take to the streets in the coming days.
