Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4 -- The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday sought the Centre's intervention to ensure the lifting of rice from Odisha, warning that mounting stocks could hamper the State's upcoming paddy procurement.
The party accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in Odisha of failing to resolve the issue despite repeated representations.
At a press conference at the party headquarters, former ministers and BJD vice-presidents Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Sanjay Dasburma alleged that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was not lifting rice from Odisha at the required pace, leaving large stocks in storage.
Nayak claimed that against the targeted lifting of around 30 lakh metric tonnes by September, only 7-8 lakh tonnes h...