Anandapur: Farmers here in Keonjhar district alleged that paddy is not purchased from them at the government-fixed MSP while the authorities concerned sometimes haggle with them for its price. Paddy quantity is reduced during weighing.
Millers do not buy paddy from farmers at Tartara Panchayat Cooperative Society. Given this situation, farmers are bound to sell paddy for Rs 1,050 to traders. This state of affairs has led to discontent among farmers.
Failing to get the right price for paddy, some farmers have chosen to stock their produce at homes even though they are hard pressed for urgent expenses.
Farmers who have registered in Kantipal area alleged that while storage of paddy faces risk from rain and rodents, an unholy nexus between the millers and the staff of the cooperative society has led to the situation.
On the other hand, the society has not yet met its paddy procurement target as 850 quintals of paddy is still to be procured from farmers.
The society authorities explain that millers do not come to lift paddy from farmers.
Farmers Rabindra Sahani, Tukuna Mohanty, Niranjan Jena, Jaladhar Dehury, Prakash Samal, Niranjan Padhi, Nityananda Chinnara, Mangula Das, Manoranjan Patra, Manas Sahu and Ananda Jena warned of an agitation if the problem is not sorted out immediately.
PNN
