Protests Erupt Over Panchayat Powers and Fertilizer Crisis in Odisha

In a show of dissent, opposition parties BJD and Congress staged protests near the Odisha assembly against the incumbent BJP government on Tuesday. They accused the state of undermining the authority of elected panchayat representatives and failing to address the ongoing fertiliser crisis.

Activists from BJD converged at Mahatma Gandhi Marg, striving to march towards the assembly, demanding a reversal of policies that enhance the financial autonomy of Panchayati Raj officers, thereby reducing the elected representatives' powers. The protestors clashed with police, who responded with water cannons, resulting in several arrests.

Simultaneously, the Congress's farmers' wing attempted to gherao the assembly, voicing grievances over alleged corruption in fertiliser distribution. Odisha Kisan Congress president Abhay Sahu cited black marketing as a significant issue, forcing farmers to buy fertilisers at inflated prices.

(With inputs from agencies.)