Bhawanipatna: Local farmers staged a protest at Chicheiguda mandi under Junagarh block in Kalahandi district over alleged rigging in paddy weighing machines, a source said Wednesday.
The farmers Wednesday alleged that the weighing machines at the mandi recorded 3kg less in weighing every 40kg of paddy.
One of the agitating farmers said, “Weighing machines have been adjusted in such a way that a weight of 42-43kg is displayed as 40kg. Likewise, for selling one quintal, an additional 6kg of paddy is lost by a farmer. Nearly 10,000 quintals of paddy have been procured by the mandi this year. Farmers have fallen victim to this.”
Following suspected reading inaccuracies, local farmers halted the procurement operations at the mandi and seized all the weighing machines in a room, the source said.
The farmers warned the administration that the mandis would remain shut till the matter is resolved.
The farmers further demanded compensation from the government and strict action against those involved in the questionable business.
The source informed that as many as six paddy weighing machines were supplied to the mandi by Junagarh Regulated Market Committee (RMC).
PNN