BJP Demands Agriculture Minister’s Resignation Over Onam Farming Crisis

speedy Summary:

• The BJP has demanded the resignation of Kerala’s Agriculture Minister P. Prasad for allegedly misleading farmers regarding payments for procured paddy.
• BJP Palakkad zone general secretary K.K.Surendran accused the State government of mishandling funds and failing to pay farmers by Onam, intensifying Kerala’s agricultural crisis.
• Kole farmers in ponnani staged a hunger strike at Changaramkulam, protesting payment delays for paddy procured five months ago.
• Surendran alleged misuse and diversion of Central government funds intended for paddy procurement, calling for transparency through a white paper on fund allocation and usage.
• He claimed the Union government allocated ₹10,621.68 crore over 11 years for paddy procurement, including ₹1,151.85 crore in 2024 and ₹1,062.32 crore in 2025.
• While the center set a support price of ₹33.21 per kilogramme of paddy,the State paid only ₹28.20 along with additional loading charges levied on farmers.

Indian opinion Analysis:
The allegations from BJP signal deeper structural issues within Kerala’s agricultural finance management that could strain farmer-government relations if unresolved promptly. With protests escalating due to delayed payments post-harvest season (key festivals like Onam), trust between kole farmers and authorities might potentially be eroding considerably-an area requiring immediate intervention to maintain rural economic stability.

A call for presenting a white paper could provide clarity around fund utilization practices and reset accountability parameters within state governance systems while addressing farmer concerns transparently amid claims of diversion or underpayment tied directly to Central policy expectations vs local execution gaps.

Kerala’s ability to address this issue effectively might act as precedent-setting; transparency mechanisms here would serve wider Indian states tackling federal finance alignment amidst increasing farming community stresses nationally.

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