Bhubaneswar: Traffic may be affected on Wednesday as a farmers’ organisation, Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), has called for a statewide bandh in protest against alleged problems in paddy procurement.NKS convenor Akshay Kumar said that the bandh will not affect railways and any emergency services. However, farmers will demonstrate on roads as part of the bandh from 6 am to 2 pm while the NKS has appealed business and commercial establishments to down shutters.Akshay said apart from govt’s failure to lift paddy on time, the protest will highlight loot of people, especially farmers, in the name of installing smart meters for electricity. Besides, illogical fines on people in the name of not doing pollution under check certificates.Responding to the bandh call, BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra said the protest is planned by non-farmers. “Farmers in Odisha are very happy with the Mohan Charan Majhi govt because of its pro-farmer initiatives such as Rs 800 per quintal bonus for paddy,” he said.Amiya Kumar Pattnaik, national coordinator of All India Kisan Congress, farmers’ wing of Congress, said the party will fully support the bandh call as farmers are in distress. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, “BJD has thanked the NKS for raising farmers’ issue even as the party will go ahead with its own agitation plan district-wise from Feb 2 and a massive demonstration in Bhubaneswar on Feb 24.”
