Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sasmit Patra has responded sharply to the letter of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar regarding the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Odisha.
Dr Patra said, “The people of Odisha have seen the anti farmer attitude of BJP… Genuine Fasal Bima claims of farmers of Odisha were stopped for a long time despite regular follow up by Odisha Chief Minister and Cooperation Minister, the Centre was holding up the Fasal Bima of the farmers.”
“After pressure from farmers and continuous follow up by Odisha CM, the Fasal Bima is being released,” Patra said adding that the BJP has seen the wrath of the farmers regarding stoppage of Fasal Bima of Odisha.
Similarly in 2019, the BJP had tried to stop the KALIA Scheme which was pro-farmer. Hon’ble Odisha CM went to Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) Office in Bhubaneswar and personally intervened and explained about it. Finally the scheme was cleared, Patra recalled.
“Biju Janata Dal does not believe in doing politics on farmers issues. There are many other issues to do politics on,” he said.
As the scheme is itself named Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Fasal Bima is therefore to be paid by BJP led Centre. But for so many months, the Centre kept delaying it, the BJD MP said adding that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is fully aware that there is no merit in his letter to Union Agriculture Minister.
Patra went on to add “the said HDFC Company was empanelled by the Centre itself. How did the Centre empanel a company which is so corrupt in the first place? Pradhan should answer that first. How is such a company then working in BJP ruled States of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Tripura and Maharashtra?”
Secondly, by mentioning that a collusion has taken place in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana he has in fact indicted his own Government of irregularities in a Central Programme, said Patra and added that the Centre should now admit whether they have failed to run a clean Central Government programme.
This is another classic example of trying to mislead the farmers of Odisha by deflecting the fact that it was the Centre which was blocking the payment of Fasal Bima which Pradhan and the Centre should reply to the farmers of Padampur as to why they were doing this for so long, the senior BJD leader concluded.
Comments are closed.