The House Committee of Odisha Assembly today decided to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and place the state's demand to increase the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy.
Absence of BJP members at the committee meeting headed by Speaker Niranjan Pujari surprised many as the party had earlier supported an unanimous resolution passed in the Assembly on the issue.
"I am surprised over BJP's absence in the meeting. It is betrayal towards the farming community of the state," senior BJD leader and state Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma told reporters.
"We had supported the resolution to increase the MSP of paddy from Rs 1,470 per quintal to Rs 2,930 per quintal. We have two members - K V Singhdeo and B B Harichandan in the House Committee. They might have some problem and could not not attend today's meeting," said BJP MLA Pradip Purohit.
The meeting was attended by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress, state Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy and others.
"We will be presenting a memorandum to the Centre to demand increase of paddy MSP. The Committee members will then meet PM Modi on the matter," Pujari said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also raised the issue of increasing the MSP for paddy at the Niti Aayog meeting.
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