Odisha assembly adjourned over distress sale of vegetables

Odisha Assembly was today adjourned till afternoon over alleged distress sale of vegetables by farmers across the state.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, opposition Congress members demanded compensation for the farmers resorting to distress sale of vegetables due to lack of cold storages and effective marketing link in tribal dominated districts like Keonjhar, Koraput, Rayagada and Bargarh.
Congress members led by Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati created pandemonium in the Assembly and demanded reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, agriculture minister and cooperation minister who looks after cold storages.
Unable to run the House, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the house twice till 3 PM.

Bahinipati said that the farmers of Keonjhar district yesterday dumped qunitals of fresh tomatoes on the road in front of the Collector's office after being unable to sale the produces at proper price.
They even could not get 50 paise per kg of tomatoes in Keonjhar and therefore preferred to dump them on roads, Bahinipati said adding that farmers of Rayagada, Koraput and Bargarh districts had also faced similar situation earlier.

Congress members rushed to the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government. Some of them also tried to climb the Speaker's podium.
Demanding adequate compensation for the vegetable growers, the legislators sought clarification from minister concerned minister.

They alleged that the financial backbone of farmers has been broken down due to demonetisation.