Our fight for MSP hike will continue: Naveen

Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday hit out at the Narendra Modi government for not hiking minimum support price (MSP) of paddy.

The ruling BJD held a “Krushak Adhikar Samavesh” at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

 “Odisha demands hike in MSP for paddy to Rs 2,930 per quintal to boost farmers’ income. Centre should honour its commitment to implement Swaminathan Committee’s recomendation. Our fight for the hike in MSP will continue,” said Patnaik.

“I have requested Central Government several times to increase the Minimum Support Price for paddy. Odisha Assembly has also passed a resolution and sent to the Centre to hike the Minimum Support Price by one and half times. Our Assembly Committee tried to meet the Central Government. But nothing has happened,” he added.

“Should we forget the promises made in the Election Manifesto? Never, under any circumstances. Bharatiya Janata Party has forgotten the promises made to farmers after it came to power,” said the Chief Minister.

He said it is the responsibility of the Central Government to fix the minimum support price for food grains and it is the duty of the Central Government to implement M.S. Swaminathan Committee’s Report.

“Central Government can’t escape from this responsibility,” he added.

“Recently, I demanded ‘Financial Autonomy’ for States. If we had financial autonomy, our farmers need not have come to Delhi. We could have paid for the rights of farmers from our own funds.”

“Minimum Support Price is the right of farmers. It is not a favour from anyone. Biju Janata Dal has been working for the right of farmers and will continue to do so. Our fight for farmers’ right will continue,” said the Chief Minister.