India: Potato Mission a Failure, Says BJP

At the party’s district executive meeting, they said at a time when the farmers are struggling to ensure water for their crops, the Government is busy in announcing new agriculture schemes. The meeting was presided over by district BJP president Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan. They said Potato Mission in Dhenkanal is a failure as there is no cold storage and irrigation facility in the district. The State Government has not taken any steps in the last 16 years to address these issues in Dhenkanal.

So far, 11 farmers have committed suicide due to loan burden in the district and the BJP had urged the State Government to disburse `10 lakh each to the families of the deceased but that has not been done so far. They said if the Government fails to provide compensation, the party members will take to the streets.

The party leaders also alleged that many genuine beneficiaries have been left out of the NFSA list and law and order situation has deteriorated in the area. They decided that steps will be taken to popularise Central schemes at the grassroots level in the district. Former Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany, State BJP treasurer Binod Dash, former MLAs Prasana Patnaik and  Krushna Chandra Patra participated.