Bhubaneswar: Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra Wednesday claimed that the paddy procurement has resumed in 19 districts.
The All Odisha Rice Millers’ Association has launched the strike since Monday, leading to disruption in the paddy procurement process, an official said.
The association has been demanding an increase in milling charges, revision of transportation rates for paddy and rice and enhanced custody and maintenance levies for the grain stored in their godowns.
Patra claimed, “The paddy procurement has resumed in 19 districts, where more than 14 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have already been procured.”
He said the government has agreed to several demands of the rice millers, including a hike in their transportation fees.
“We have issued an order to make payments for three months of custody maintenance. The government is also considering two other demands. Now, they have resumed work,” Patra told media persons here.
However, miller’s organisation president Mahesh Bansal claimed that they are continuing their strike as the government “has not fulfilled their demands so far”.
“We have four genuine demands. If the government agrees to these, it should give assurance in writing,” he said.
Due to the deadlock between the Odisha government and rice millers, farmers are spending nights at mandis, braving the cold.
Lifting of paddy has been stalled in several districts across the state, a farmer leader said.
“Before the beginning of the ongoing Kharif marketing season (KMS), the government had assured the millers that it would fulfil their demands in 15 days. But the government has failed to respond adequately even after the passing of nearly one month,” another rice miller said.
Several meetings between the government and the association have been held on the issues, with the last interaction organised on Tuesday, he said.
PTI
