Ministerial committee will hold talks with farmers: Behera

A ministerial committee of Odisha government will hold consultation with different farmers organisations including Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) and agriculture experts on the problems faced by the peasants in the state.

The ministerial committee will hold consultation with farmers organisation on December 7, Finance minister S B Behera, who heads the committee said Thursday after the first ever meeting of the panel here.

The farmers led by NNKS across the state have been staging agitations demanding hike in minimum support price and pension for farmers.

Behera said the committee decided to have a meeting with the NNKS leaders and others. "The committee will take a decision after receiving suggestions from the farmer leaders," he added.

The state government on November 6 had formed the ministerial committee to look into the demands of the farmers. The other members of the committee are ministers of Agriculture, Panchayati Raj and Cooperation.

NNKS had earlier rejected the setting up of the ministerial committee and its national convenor Akshya Kumar said: "We have been demanding an ordinance seeking farmer pension fund ...