The BJP on Tuesday severely criticized the Naveen Patnaik Government for not being able to provide 24-hour free-of-cost electricity for farming purposes during the 18 years of its rule and demanded to take a cue from the Telangana Government in this regard soon.
“The three-year-old Telangana Government yesterday announced to provide 24-hour electricity for agriculture purposes free of cost.
However, the BJD Government has not been able to provide electricity during 18 years of its rule,” said State spokesperson Sajjan Sharma in a statement.
He alleged that the State Government has been neglecting the farmers and the firming sector for long for which farmers are suffering untold miseries.
While other States are implementing various welfare schemes for their farmers, the Odisha Government has failed to supply even basic needs like seeds, pesticides and irrigation, he said.
Stating that farmer Khainu Bagarti of Bargarh district ended his life as electricity was not connected to his lift irrigation point, Sharma said the State Government has no interest to resolve such a big problem rather ministers are mocking at affected farmers many times.
He demanded that farmers be provided electricity free of cost at the earliest.