Odisha farmers will get Rs 800 more per quintal of paddy: Majhi

Bhubaneswar: Blaming the previous BJD government for the "miseries" of farmers in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said the State government will now pay an additional Rs 800 per quintal of paddy to cultivators.

Addressing a function marking 'All India Cooperative Week 2024' celebration, Majhi said farmers will get additional Rs 800 per quintal of paddy as input assistance as Odisha farmers are often affected by calamities such as floods, cyclones, drought, dry spells and pest attacks..

"Former CM (Naveen Patnaik), at a farmers’ rally at Sohela in Bargarh district 9 years ago, had announced a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal of paddy. This could have been very helpful for poverty-stricken farmers. But, the farmers did not get even Re 1 as bonus from the government", Majhi said.

He alleged some farmers in the State were forced to commit suicide under debt burden during the BJD government.