The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) launched a fierce attack on the State Government on Friday, accusing it of total inefficiency and alleging a collapse of the supply system in Odisha due to the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) failure to lift rice.
Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, senior BJD leaders and former Ministers Sanjay Kumar DasBurma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak criticized the “double-engine” BJP government for adopting a stepmotherly attitude toward the state.
Dasburma stated that while the Central Government provides special incentives to other states, it is blatantly discriminating against Odisha. He highlighted that farmers across the state are already distressed by fertilizer shortages, paddy registration mismanagement, and miller lawlessness at mandis. He added that the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister, Krushna Chandra Patra, exposed his own helplessness by admitting that despite seven visits to Delhi, the Centre has ignored his pleas.
Echoing these concerns, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak pointed out that out of the target to lift 30 lakh metric tonnes of rice by September, FCI has managed to lift only 7 to 8 lakh metric tonnes. The remaining stock continues to rot in storage, creating an impending deadlock for upcoming paddy procurement. Nayak contrasted the current situation with former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s tenure, during which Odisha set record procurement figures and won five Krishi Karman Awards.
The BJD leaders expressed disappointment over the silence of Odisha’s 20 BJP Lok Sabha and 5 Rajya Sabha MPs regarding this crisis. The party demanded immediate central intervention to clear the rice stock, warning of statewide street protests if the issue remains unresolved.
