Bhubaneswar:
Demanding loan waiver for small and marginal farmers hit by unseasonal rain, an Orissa
Congress MP Pradip Majhi launched a hunger-strike near the state secretariat with his supporters.
"The government must announce loan waiver upto Rs 50,000 as the unseasonal rain has broken the economic backbone of small and marginal farmers," Majhi, who is also the Youth
Congress president, said.
He said he would continue the hunger strike till the demands were fulfilled. Terming the BJD government as anti-farmer, Majhi accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of not presenting the
real picture on the extent of damage suffered by farmers during harvest before the Centre.
He claimed that 16 farmers had committed suicide within a month in the state due to crop loss and demanded Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia to each such peasant families.
The Youth Congress is demanding inclusion of seven coastal districts in the list of affected districts, crop insurance for farmers and announcement of Rs 12,000 per acre for crop loss in non-irrigated land and Rs 20,000 for irrigated land.
OPCC president KP Singhdeo and other senior party leaders visited the dharna site.
Congress MP Pradip Majhi launched a hunger-strike near the state secretariat with his supporters.
"The government must announce loan waiver upto Rs 50,000 as the unseasonal rain has broken the economic backbone of small and marginal farmers," Majhi, who is also the Youth
Congress president, said.
He said he would continue the hunger strike till the demands were fulfilled. Terming the BJD government as anti-farmer, Majhi accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of not presenting the
real picture on the extent of damage suffered by farmers during harvest before the Centre.
He claimed that 16 farmers had committed suicide within a month in the state due to crop loss and demanded Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia to each such peasant families.
The Youth Congress is demanding inclusion of seven coastal districts in the list of affected districts, crop insurance for farmers and announcement of Rs 12,000 per acre for crop loss in non-irrigated land and Rs 20,000 for irrigated land.
OPCC president KP Singhdeo and other senior party leaders visited the dharna site.
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