BJP ups ante on Pest Menace; rushing Teams to Odisha

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leaving no stones unturned to corner the Odisha government on the issues of pest menace and farmer suicide. And, ahead of bypoll in Bijepur, which falls in Bargarh district, the party wants to hit BJD as much as it can.

Earlier in the day, the BJP announced that a six-member team led by Lok Sabha MP Om Prakash Yadav will be on a four-day Odisha visit from November 10. The team will start its journey from Bargarh, will meet with farmers and asses the present situation. Later they will visit the damaged agricultural land in Nuapada, Bolangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Ganjam and Nayagarh. The team will hold discussion with the affected farmers and will be submitted their report to party President Amit Shah.

Later in the evening, Union Agricultre Minister Radhamohan Singh held a press meet along with Union P&NG Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and lashed out at the Odisha Govt. He revealed that the CRRI (Central Rice Research Institute) had alerted the state government and even issued advisory on pest menace on October 4 and 5. But, that was ignored by the officials, leading to the present crisis.

MoS Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will also lead a high-level team to #Odisha on November 12 and visit worst-affected Bargarh District apart from other areas. The beleaguered Odisha Government, which is under tremendous pressure, may feel further heat, as the Centre has stepped in an aggressive manner. It would be interesting to see how the BJD counters BJP’s onslaught on the farmers’ issue.