The Odisha Legislative Assembly descended into turmoil on Wednesday as opposition members from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress staged a dramatic protest against alleged mismanagement in paddy procurement.
Accusing the government of arbitrary deductions, harassment of farmers, and the purchase of paddy at Rs 1,700 per quintal instead of the promised Rs 3,169, the lawmakers dumped paddy into the well of the House, leading to multiple adjournments and halting proceedings for the day.
The session began at 10:30 AM, but opposition MLAs immediately rushed to the centre of the House carrying placards and sacks of paddy. BJD and Congress legislators highlighted issues such as farmers being forced to sell at distress prices, excessive deductions (known as “katni chatni”), and chaos at procurement centres (mandis). Slogans echoed through the chamber, criticising the “double engine” BJP government for delivering a “double betrayal” to farmers.
In a striking display, BJD MLA Romanch Ranjan Biswal carried a bundle of paddy on his head and poured it onto the reporters’ table. Fellow BJD MLAs Ranendra Pratap Swain and Dr Arun Kumar Sahu held up handfuls of paddy, showing it to Speaker Surama Padhy in an attempt to draw attention to the farmers’ plight. Amid the uproar, the Question Hour could not proceed, and Agriculture Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo attempted to respond to a query but was drowned out by the noise.
Despite repeated pleas from Speaker Padhy for members to return to their seats, the protests continued. The House was first adjourned until 11:30 AM. When it reconvened, the scene repeated with BJD MLAs Rohit Joseph Tirkey and Sanjeev Mallick unfurling a large banner demanding an end to deductions, fair prices for farmers, procurement of all paddy, and better management at mandis. BJP MLA Manoranjan Dyan Samantaray was called to speak, but the chaos persisted, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the session until 4 PM just two minutes in.
More to follow…
