The Biju Janata Dal on Sunday steered away from controversy over the three new farm laws and demanded implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendations for improvement of the agriculture sector.
“Our government strongly believes that the income of farmers will go up only when the right minimum support price of their farm produce is given,” said the regional party passing a political resolution here.
The first meeting of the party’s newly constituted executive body, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, stated, “The State Assembly had passed a resolution to increase the MSP on the basis of the Swaminathan committee recommendations in 2017 and 2018 and the party has also raised the issue at New Delhi.”
Senior BJD leader and Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari proposed a resolution to authorise party supremo and Chief Minister Mr. Patnaik to keep emphasising on implementation of the Swaminathan committee recommendations.
Stating that the BJD was committed to double the income of farmers, the party said the State government was a pioneer in declaring a separate agriculture budget in the country. Apart from a new agriculture policy, the government announced ‘Samrudhi’, a new scheme aimed at farm sector development, the party said.
None of the senior BJD leaders have openly come out in support of farmers agitating against the farm laws other than issuing a general statement that the party was extending moral support to farmers.
The BJD also passed a political resolution reiterating its commitment to press for special category status for Odisha.
“Odisha is facing natural disasters such as flood, drought and cyclone frequently for which our State is entitled to be accorded special category status,” says the resolution.
Besides, the regional party demanded 33% reservation for women both in Parliament and State Assemblies. “About 70 lakh women played key a role in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in Odisha. Legendary leader and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik had first implemented 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and the present Chief Minister has raised the reservation to 50%. The party wants expeditious reservation for women in the Assembly and the Parliament,” said the regional party.
