Bhubaneswar, Feb. 16: The state government today decided to recognise the tenant farmers or sharecroppers so that they can avail loan, subsidy or compensation for agricultural purpose.
The move assumes significance in view of the competition between the BJD and BJP to woo the farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a farmers’ convention at Bargarh on February 21. Ahead of his visit, chief minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to address two meetings in Kalahandi annd Bolangir districts on February 18.
Small and marginal farmers constitute around 80 per cent of the peasant population in the state, who are a major vote bank for the political parties.
“We will protect the interest of both the big farmers and sharecroppers,” revenue and disaster management minister Bijoyshree Routray told The Telegraph today.
The Orissa Land Reforms Act, 1960 recognises only landowners and prohibits the leasing of land. The minister said the government was planning to bring amendments to the Act to recognise the sharecroppers. Asked as to how they would be identified, he said that the modalities were being worked out.
However, the non-release of drought assistance by the Centre has generated political heat in the state, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.
BJD and Congress alleged that the Centre, which had announced financial assistance of Rs 815 crore on January 6 to combat the drought situation in the state, has curtailed around Rs 214 crore. Besides, not a single pie has been released from the Centre, said BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb. Senior Congress leader Ganeswar Behera also criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre for its “apathy towards the sufferings of the drought-affected people of Odisha”.
Panel seeks footage
The ethics committee of the Assembly, which today met to discuss the allegations of Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das having watched porn clips on his smart phone in the House during its winter session, decided to call for the entire CCTV footage of the Assembly and the video footage on the issue from various news channels.
The ethics committee, which met under the chairmanship of BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain, today examined all the allegations against Das which had been forwarded to it by speaker Niranjan Pujari.
The committee decided to meet again next week. Swain, the chairman of the committee, said: “Members have been asked to give their opinion on the report of the speaker.”
The committee also discussed the necessity of recommending to the speaker the need to strictly implement the rule regarding the ban on carrying mobile phones to the House. The Assembly already has a “code of conduct for members” which states that members “shall not bring cellular phones, paper or play cassette or tape recorder either in the House or in the galleries. If they are brought, they will be seized (Code of conduct for members of Odisha Legilsative Assembly - Chapter II (xx)”.
Member of the committee Prakash Behera said: “We will meet again after going through the opinion of the committee members.”
Das, 53, had admitted to have seen the smutty visuals on his Android phone, but had sought to defend himself saying it was not a deliberate act. “I was browsing my phone when by mistake I touched YouTube app and this clip popped up,” the MLA had said.
