BJP activists sell veggies at lower rate, flay govt

Athagarh: In the wake of skyrocketing prices of vegetables, BJP activists, led by Abhaya Kumar Barik, on Thursday sold tomato, pointed gourd, bitter gourd, green chilli and ginger at half the price of market rate.

Buyers were happy to purchase vegetables at a lower rate. Athagarh is regarded as the vegetable basket of Odisha. Vegetables in huge quantity are produced along the fertile Mahanadi river banks here and supplied to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Talcher and other towns.

But due to the cold storage getting damaged here, Athagarh farmers are facing the problem of storing vegetables thus incurring financial loss. The BJP said despite Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain being the Agriculture Minister, the farmers of the area are facing hardships. They demanded the resignation of the Agriculture Minister.