Padampur Bypoll: Farmers’ Issues Prompt Political Slugfest Between BJP, BJD

Bhubaneswar: Padampur by-election is seeming to be a major power tussle ground for Odisha ruling BJD and BJP-led central government as both the parties are trading barbs over farmers’ issues.

Amid the political slugfest over farmers’ issues, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday came down heavily on the Odisha government.

While Tomar accused BJD of playing the blame game just to divert the attention of people, BJD said that union ministers are misrepresenting facts intentionally to woo Padampur voters.

While addressing a public rally during campaigning for BJP for the Padampur by-election, Tomar said, “The Centre has already released funds for Fasal Bima Yojana. The responsibility of floating the bids for the implementation of the scheme vests with the State government. Subsequently, the State government could have made a survey about the crop loss and demanded money.”

“Centre has extended financial assistance of Rs6000 for each farmer, under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The entire fund has already been released, now it’s time to put pressure on the Odisha government so that it doesn’t sit on the funds meant for farmers. The State government didn’t follow the norms and kept on blaming the Centre just to divert the attention of the people,” he added.

Meanwhile, responding to Tomar’s statements, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said that both the union ministers – Tomar and Ashwini Vaishnaw are misrepresenting facts intentionally.

“There is no truth in the statements made by the two union ministers. Intentionally they are misrepresenting facts. Crop loss assistance is provided by the concerned insurance firms, not the state government,” Acharya said.