BJD Stages Protest Demanding Lifting of Parboiled Rice by FCI

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ruling party Biju Janata Dal staged a protest in front of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) office here today demanding lifting of parboiled rice by the central agency.

The BJD said that the Centre has neglected the interests of the farmers in Odisha.

The non-lifting of parboiled rice by the FCI would severely affect paddy procurement operations as well as cause distress to lakhs of farmers in the State, the BJD said.

The BJP-led Central Government is shedding crocodile tears in the name of farmers but doing nothing. During 2020-21, Odisha produced 52 lakh tons of parboiled rice and FCI had to lift 22 lakh tons of these. But the central procurement agency has decided to lift only 2 lakh tons of raw rice and five lakh tons of parboiled rice from Odisha. This will cause much agony to the farmers and millers of the State, the BJD alleged.

Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for lifting of the surplus parboiled rice from the State.

The BJD Members have also raised the issue in the Parliament.

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