Bhubaneswar is bracing for a statewide shutdown on January 28 as the Odisha Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan calls for action against rampant irregularities in paddy procurement. The Congress party has thrown its full weight behind the bandh, slamming the state government for alleged scams in rice buying, chaotic smart meter installations, and exorbitant fines under the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) regime.
In a strongly worded video message, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) declared its solidarity with the protesting farmers. The party highlighted how farmers are being denied input subsidies for selling over 150 quintals of paddy, a grievance that has fueled multiple protests across the state. OPCC chief Bhakta Charan Das urged all district committees, workers, and members to actively participate in the bandh, turning it into a massive show of farmer power.
The bandh, scheduled from 6 AM to 2 PM, targets key issues like discrepancies in mandi purchases and overzealous PUCC penalties that burden ordinary citizens and farmers alike. Organizer Akshay Kumar assured that essential services including hospitals, ambulances, and railways would remain unaffected, ensuring public safety amid the stir.
Even the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has endorsed the move, with spokesperson Lenin Mohanty calling it a vital expression of farmers’ anguish. BJD plans its own statewide protests from February 2 to 17, culminating in a grand rally in Bhubaneswar on February 24, focusing on paddy procurement failures and law-and-order breakdowns.
This convergence of political support underscores deepening discontent in Odisha’s agrarian heartland. As the bandh looms, it could pressure the government to address systemic flaws in agricultural policies and regulatory overreach, potentially reshaping the political landscape ahead of future elections.