Sonepur: Tension prevailed at Mahada under Binika block in Odisha’s Subarnapur district Friday after farmers locked the local Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) office, protesting a “prolonged delay” in paddy procurement.
Farmers first staged a demonstration before resorting to the lockout. During the protest, two PACS employees were reportedly “trapped” inside the office after farmers put locks on the building.
The agitators alleged that “paddy stocked at the procurement centre had not been lifted for nearly 20 days”, disrupting procurement operations and causing hardship to farmers.
They accused authorities of inaction and said the delay had left them facing mounting financial losses.
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According to the protesting farmers, they had been bringing their produce to the procurement centre in tractors for the past three weeks and were forced to spend heavily on transportation. They also claimed they had been guarding the paddy round the clock as the stock was lying in the open.
Mahada PACS secretary said, “procurement activities were underway at three locations under its jurisdiction.” He also stated that agitating farmers had locked the main office and confined two staff members inside during the protest.
