Nabarangpur/Chandahandi: Upset over problems in paddy procurement, scores of farmers staged a road blockade in Chandahandi of Nabarangpur district Saturday.
The agitating farmers stacked paddy sacks on the road at Hanuman Mandir Chhak for hours, disrupting traffic.
They alleged that paddy at four mandis under this block was not being lifted while 3 kg of paddy is reduced per quintal on the grounds of poor standard.
They pointed out that though there is provision of providing sacks to farmers, it is not being done at all.
Tehsildar Hrudananda Singh majhi, LAMPS’s MD Umesh Chandra Tripathy and Chandhandi police rushed to the agitation site and tried to placate them, but the farmers refused to budge from agitation.
They made it clear that if the administration gives them written assurance that their paddy would be lifted, they would withdraw their agitation.
Reports said that for the last 15 days, paddy is lying stocked at Chandahandi, Pujariguda, Koilimunda and Dhadipani mandis.
3453 farmers have registered their names for procurement. The target is to procure 2 lakh quintals of paddy. Farmers have got their tokens while their eyes have been scanned. The RMC has tested the quality of paddy while LAMPSs have weighed the paddy. But millers are not lifting the paddy, they alleged. The tehsildar assured that the issue would be sorted out soon.
PNN
