Bhubaneswar: The state government on Saturday made it clear that it would not welcome the central team arriving here on Sunday to assess the crop loss caused due to pest attack.

Agriculture minister Damodar Rout said: "We have no information about their visit. They might be coming to visit their relatives' house. Earlier, central ministers used to inform the state about their visits. Besides, the Centre should remember that agriculture is a state subject."

Rout said: "Only after the state government places a request with the Centre for sending a team, should the Centre send one. It seems that a BJP team is coming and not a central government one."

Accusing the central minister of overstepping his constitutional limits, Rout said: "This is a federal government. Everyone should remain within their limits."

Rout also came down heavily on Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh for his statement that guidelines had been issued by the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, about a possible pest attack on crops and possible preventive measures. "No such advisory was issued by the institute. We want to know when it turned into a central department. Its duty is to do research and not to issue guidelines to the state government," he said.

The six-members BJP team led by party MP Om Prakash Yadav visited Nuapda district on Saturday. "The Odisha government has failed to protect the interests of farmers and not implemented the central schemes," said Yadav.

State BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said: "We don't need a lecture on the Constitution from Rout."