Even though Orissa government planned to provide relief to rain-hit farmers from February, a large number of peasants in Ganjam district today staged a demonstration accusing state government of being apathetic towards their plight.

Farmers from different parts of the district under the banner of Orissa Chasi Surakhya Abhiyan (OCSA) went round the main streets of the town highlighting their plight.

In a brief meeting, several leaders of farmers including former union minister and the president of the OCSA Braja Kishore Tripathy, MLA George Trikey, Rabi Rath and several others criticized the state and Central governments for not coming forward to rescue the distressed farmers.

"Neither the state government nor the centre is coming forward to rescue the distress farmers, for which the spate of loss of lives of the peasants is going on in the state," said the former union minister.

At least 19 farmers lost their lives in Ganjam, the worst hit district in untimely rain, claimed Rabi Rath.

Aggrieved over the delay in providing relief to the rain-hit farmers, the youth wing of Congress in Orissa also launched agitation from Hinjili, home constituency of chief minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday. Several Congress supporters led by the state youth Congress president and Lok Sabha member Pradip Majhi staged dharana in front of the block office in Hinjili.

"The agitation was launched from Hinjili and it will be continued across the state, if the state government further delays to provide the relief to the rain-hit farmers," Majhi said.