Cong seeks farm loan waiver

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), on Friday, demanded that the Centre fix minimum support price (MSP) of paddy at `3,000 per quintal and waive all crop loans of the farmers.
“Centre should raise the MSP for paddy to ` 3,000 per quintal and both the Centre and State Governments waive all crop loans taken by the farmers,” OPCC president Prasad Harichandan told mediapersons here.  He also demanded that the Government pay bonus to the farmers besides the MSP on paddy.

Criticising Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for not implementing announcement to provide assistance of `100 per quintal of paddy besides the MSP, Harichandan questioned why the State Government is not giving bonus to farmers when its economy has improved. The State is taking the farmers for a ride by referring to a Central guideline that bonus cannot be paid when there is no such restriction, he said.Party spokesperson Lalatendu Mohapatra and Sougat Mohanty and chairman of the farmers’ wing of OPCC Amiya Patnaik were present.