Bhubaneswar, Sep 4: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress on Friday intensified their attack on the Odisha government over the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) slow lifting of rice from the state, warning that the delay could create serious hurdles for paddy procurement during the upcoming Kharif season.
The Opposition’s criticism came a day after Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra expressed concern over the delay in lifting custom-milled rice, saying the situation was creating difficulties for the state’s paddy procurement operations.
Addressing a press conference, senior BJD leaders Sanjay Dasburma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the minister’s remarks had vindicated the party’s repeated allegations that the Centre was neglecting Odisha.
The BJD leaders said it was significant that a minister in the BJP-led state government had himself acknowledged that FCI was not lifting rice according to the targets fixed by the agency.
According to the BJD, around 18 lakh metric tonnes of rice is currently lying in the state due to the delay in lifting. The party warned that unless the stocks are cleared soon, Odisha could face a shortage of storage space for the rice that will be generated from the upcoming paddy procurement season.
The BJD leaders also questioned why rice was being lifted from other states while Odisha was facing difficulties in getting its stocks cleared.
They said a delegation of 20 MPs from Odisha had earlier met the Centre and urged it to lift the state’s surplus rice. They also claimed that Minister Patra had met the Union minister several times to raise the issue.
The BJD demanded that the minister take it up with the Centre on an urgent basis. The party also warned that it would launch street protests if the issue was not resolved soon.
Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja also targeted the state government, accusing it of trying to shift the blame onto farmers and the Centre instead of taking responsibility for what he described as its administrative failures.
Saluja said the minister’s statement exposed the failure of the “double-engine” BJP government to resolve the issue despite the BJP being in power at both the state and Centre.
He said the timing of the problem was particularly worrying as the Kharif paddy procurement season is approaching.
The state BJP, meanwhile, hit back at the Opposition.
Party spokesperson Manoj Mahapatra said that those who are aware of a problem are in a position to find a solution to it.
He said the people’s government and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi were aware of the situation and that the problems faced by farmers would be resolved soon.
Mahapatra also accused the BJD of lacking the moral authority to criticise the government on the issue. He alleged that the previous BJD government had distributed rice supplied by the Centre while taking credit for it.
“We are providing an additional 5 kg of rice,” he said, adding that any issues concerning FCI would be resolved in the coming days.
Minister Patra, speaking at the 47th Foundation Day function of the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, had said FCI was not lifting rice according to the targets set by it.
Patra said the state government was spending around Rs 30,000 crore on paddy procurement and ensuring that farmers receive payments within 48 hours. However, he pointed out that unless the procured paddy is milled into rice and the rice stocks are subsequently lifted, the state could face difficulties in continuing its procurement operations.
