Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday announced a series of statewide protests from February 2 to 17, culminating in a massive public rally in Bhubaneswar on February 24, to draw attention to the deepening agrarian crisis and the worsening law-and-order situation in Odisha.
Addressing a press conference at Shankha Bhavan, senior BJD leaders including Debi Mishra, Sanjay Das Burma and Arun Sahu launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP government, accusing it of failing to address severe agricultural distress and a surge in crime across the state. The party cited acute fertiliser shortages, rampant black marketing and significant delays in paddy procurement as key concerns.
BJD farmer cell convener Acharya termed the ongoing kharif paddy procurement a “complete failure,” stating that only about five lakh out of 19.66 lakh registered farmers have been able to sell their produce so far. He claimed that procurement has fallen far short of the state’s target of 73 lakh metric tonnes, with only around 25 lakh metric tonnes procured—just 34 per cent of the target.
Comparing the situation with neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Acharya said the state, despite having lower paddy production, has already procured about 1.26 lakh metric tonnes against its target of 80 lakh metric tonnes. He warned that delays in kharif procurement would seriously affect farmers’ capacity to finance rabi (dalua) paddy cultivation, which has already commenced in irrigated areas.
He further alleged that farmers continue to face widespread deductions (katni-chhatni) despite government assurances of procurement without cuts, and accused the government of failing to lift last year’s procured paddy from millers. According to him, nine per cent of kharif rice and the entire rabi rice stock in 22 districts remain pending.
BJD vice-president Das Burma highlighted delays in opening mandis, saying these have forced small and marginal farmers to resort to distress sales through middlemen. He added that farmers in several districts have been staging protests on roads demanding immediate paddy lifting, but the situation remains unresolved.
Focusing on law and order, senior leader Arun Sahu alleged a sharp rise in crime, particularly crimes against women, claiming that over 40,000 women have been affected in recent times. He said Odisha’s image as a peaceful state has been damaged by increasing communal tensions, riots and attacks on minorities. Sahu further accused BJP leaders and workers of “taking over” police stations, creating fear among the public and discouraging people from approaching law enforcement. “The BJP government is solely responsible for the deterioration of law and order in the state,” he alleged.
