Bhubaneswar, Oct. 21: The Congress today demanded that all the 30 districts in Odisha should be declared drought-hit since the calamity had taken a toll on the entire state.

"The state government has declared only 16 districts drought-hit, but that is not enough. All the districts should be brought under that category," said state Congress president, Prasad Harichandan while announcing his party's agitation programme on the issue of drought and farmers' suicide here.

The leader said that the families of the farmers who had committed suicide should be given Rs 10 lakh each as compensation, while the amount of agriculture subsidy to the growers should be increased to Rs 20,000.

Harichandan, who announced that his party would organise demonstrations at all blocks to highlight the plight of farmers on November 6, also demanded that the government should waive loans and water and other cess for farmers.

He said that farmers should be extended loans at the rate of one percent.

Recalling that AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi had undertaken a padyatra for farmers in Bargarh on September 10, the state Congress president lambasted the Naveen Patnaik government for failing to take care of farmers who, having lost their crops and unable to repay loans, were being driven to suicide.

"As many as 4,500 farmers have committed suicide during the Naveen Patnaik regime," said Harichandan, while demanding that Sudhanshu Mohan Patnaik report on farmers' suicide should be made public.

The leader also criticised the Centre for failing to do its bit for farmers, saying it had not allotted any funds to the state to tackle drought.

"The Centre had also promised to increase minimum support price for farmers by one and a half times, but is yet to do so," said Harichandan.

The leader announced that the second phase of Congress's Janjagran Padyatra programme would be held on October 30 and 31. While on the first day it will begin from Bhuchaguda under Sinappli block of Nuapada district and end at Jogenpadar, on the second day it would be held between Narasinghguda and Tetlulikhnunti in Nowrangpur district.

The programme is expected to galvanise Congress cadres, a thing important for the party that has been out of power in the state since 2000. It is also expected to bring the warring factions of the party together, thus bringing it in a position from where it can challenge chief minister Naveen Patnaik.