Bargarh: Nearly two weeks after the commencement of rabi paddy procurement in Bargarh district, issues in the process remain unresolved, with the token system emerging as a major concern.
Alleging large-scale irregularities in the mandatory token system for paddy sales, Jay Kisan Andolan, a constituent of the Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti, claimed that the quantity of paddy permitted for sale through tokens is far lower than the actual cultivation area of farmers.
Addressing a press conference at Samata Bhavan in Bargarh Saturday, the organisation alleged that sale tokens of 7,015 farmers have been blocked out of the 1,05,494 farmers who had registered for paddy procurement this season.
Convenor Lingaraj said the token-related crisis has assumed alarming proportions this year. Though more than 1.05 lakh farmers registered for Rabi procurement, many who received tokens were allowed to sell much smaller quantities of paddy compared to previous years, he alleged.
The organisation further claimed that the blocked farmers had been selling paddy from the same land plots for several years.
The issue has reportedly affected farmers in 52 of the district’s 57 PACS. The farmers’ body warned of protests outside the offices of MLAs and MPs if the issue is not resolved within seven days.