Biju Janata Dal To Take To Streets Against Discontinuation Of Food Grains Under PMGKAY

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal has called for mass protests in the state against the Center for discontinuing the supply of additional food grains under the PMGKAY scheme. The Party will organize a protest in front of Raj Bhaban tomorrow and across the state till 16th February. After submitting a memorandum to the President of India tomorrow, the Biju Janata Dal will organize protests in front of Panchayat offices across the state on 15th February and in front of the Block Headquarters and Collector offices on the 16th of this month.

While the economic condition of the poor people has worsened due to the pandemic, the reduction in food grains is going to affect about 3.25 crore people of Odisha, the party has said. It also said that the reduction of Rs 20,000 crore by Center in allocation for purchase of paddy will negatively affect the farmers of the state. The Center has also reduced the procurement of parboiled rise from the state from 18 lakh tonnes to only 4 lakh tonnes. While Bargarh in Odisha produces about 4 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice, what will the other 29 districts do now, the party has questioned. Farmers in western Odisha will be badly hit with this decision. The Center is yet to release the pending Rs 14,000 to the state that was spent for procurement, the Biju Janata Dal has said.