Jeypore: A day after Jeypore Congress organised a road blockade alleging irregularities in the procurement of paddy Town police registered a case against Congress workers for the protest without permission Friday.
Due to the road blockade, hundreds of vehicles were blocked on the road, which affected the daily life of the Jeypore residents. Following the matter, a case against Congress leaders and workers was registered, informed the Town IIC Baleswar Gidhi.
Hundreds of Congress workers and leaders organised a road blockade Thursday alleging massive irregularities in the procurement of paddy during the current Kharif Marketing Season (KMS). The party alleged that even after a month since market yards were opened at 58 places in the district, procurement of paddy is getting delayed due to inadequate infrastructure and middlemen. Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said middlemen were exploiting marginal farmers at the markets. They buy paddy from small and marginal farmers at a price at much lower than the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the government, he said.
Bahinipati asked the administration to take immediate steps to remove middlemen from the markets. He added that although Regional Marketing Committees (RMCs) were given the task of organising markets, they are not providing infrastructure for that.
The RMC has no grader machines to check paddy quality and officials do not make even a semblance of inspection, he said.
Bahinipati said 800 quintals of paddy have been procured in the district against a target of 14 lakh quintals. He said that he would be forced to call a Koraput bandh if the issue is not resolved soon.
PNN