As the date for the Padampur assembly bypoll gets nearer, these political parties have started realising the plights of the peasants and trying their best to cajole them before the poll ostensibly to get their votes.
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now seem to be presenting themselves before the peasants as generous souls ready to bail them out from their current crisis. The two major political entities, who apparently overlooked the crop insurance and input subsidy demands of the drought-hit farmers since October 2021, have suddenly woken up to meet these requirements.
The farmers have been sitting on dharna for over 14 months now.
Fearing that the farmers will not vote for the BJP candidate in Padampur bypoll scheduled to be held on December 5, the Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on November 15 directed the Odisha government for quick disbursal of crop insurance. Two hours after Mr Tomar’s direction, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik showed his promptness and announced a Rs 200 crore input subsidy package.
According to official sources, about 2,63,560 hectares of cropland in 64 blocks and 15 urban local bodies in 12 districts have suffered crop losses of 33 per cent and above due to drought.
The affected farmers are yet to receive crop insurance and input subsidies allegedly due to delay in submission of crop cutting examination (CCE) reports by the local administrations.
After the notification for Padampur bypoll was published on November 10, the BJP leaders appraised the Union agriculture minister Mr Tomar about the plight of the peasants who made no delay in instructing the state government to ensure that crop insurance to the affected farmer are given by the concerned insurance companies.
According to farmers, the sudden awakening by the Union and state governments is not going to provide any immediate relief as the election code of conduct for the bypoll is in force. Besides, it will take some time for the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) of Odisha to compile the list of affected farmers for disbursal of input subsidy.
The agitating farmers, however, have said that they are not going to withdraw their dharna until they receive the crop insurance and input subsidies in their bank account.
