Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has extended the deadline by a week for farmers’ registration to participate in paddy procurement for the kharif season, a minister said Sunday.
The state government had set August 31 as the last day for farmers’ registration. Now, it has been extended till September 7, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister KC Patra said.
It has come to our notice that some paddy farmers were unable to register themselves due to floods and heavy rainfall. On request of farmers, we have extended the deadline by seven days, he told reporters.
Patra said farmers in several areas faced online server problems while registering, causing difficulties in completing the process.
The government has discussed the issue with a technical team, and steps are being taken to address the glitches, he added.
The minister said more than 17 lakh farmers have so far registered their names to sell their paddy to the government.
However, opposition BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma demanded that at least 20 days be extended so that all left-out farmers can take part in the paddy procurement process.
Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam urged the government to immediately resolve the technical problems faced by farmers during registration.