Continuing with his aggressive stance against the Modi government at the Centre, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik today reiterated the demand for financial autonomy for Odisha.

Addressing a huge gathering including ministers, MPs, MLAs, party workers and farmers at the Talkotora stadium at New Delhi, the BJD supremo said he had recently requested the Centre to accord financial autonomy to Odisha. “Had the Centre accorded financial autonomy to Odisha, we need not have come to New Delhi,” he said.

Targeting the Centre for the agrarian crisis and plight of farmers in Odisha, the Chief Minister announced that the BJD will continue its fight for the socio-economic development of farmers. Demanding a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy, Naveen alleged that he had requested the Centre several times in this regard without any positive response.

“The members of the House Committee of the State Assembly also tried to meet the Prime Minister, but in vain. Following which, we were forced to come to New Delhi to put forth our demands,” he said.

Alleging that the BJP has forgotten the promises made to the people of Odisha in its election manifesto, Naveen said it is the responsibility of the Centre to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee. “The farmers are the soul of the economy of the country. To ensure better livelihood of the farmers, the Odisha government has launched KALIA scheme,” he said.

Several BJD MPs, ministers, MLAs and the leaders of the Biju Krushak Janata Dal are staging a dharna in front of the Parliament house demanding a hike in the MSP on paddy to `2930 per quintal. A delegation of the BJD led by the Chief Minister, will meet President Ramnath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan in the evening and submit a memorandum in this regard.