Bargarh: The kharif paddy procurement process in Bargarh has come to a grinding halt barely days after the process started November 28, sparking anger among farmers as mandis remain clogged with unsold grains. The delay has also kept thousands of farmers waiting for procurement tokens, while millers are reportedly staying away from lifting operations.
At a meeting held Sunday at Samata Bhavan, the Western Odisha Farmers’ Organisations Coordination Committee cautioned that the continued deadlock could snowball into widespread unrest if immediate corrective steps are not taken. The warning came as farmer leaders alleged that despite the late opening of mandis, the government has failed to operationalise the procurement process.
Farmers complained that only ‘symbolic’ quantities of paddy have been purchased at a few centres, leaving thousands of bags piled up without clarity on when they will be lifted. Farmer leaders criticised the government for failing to present any concrete plan even as the Assembly is in session. Instead of engaging with farmers’ concerns, leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties are trading political barbs, they said, terming it an affront to the agricultural community.
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The unions also accused successive governments of allowing millers to dictate procurement terms, pushing farmers further into exploitation. They demanded that the state adopt a direct procurement system on the lines of Chhattisgarh, where the government buys paddy directly from farmers and transports it to mandis.
The Jay Kisan Andolan warned that if the government continues to overlook the crisis, the organisation would have no option but to escalate its agitation at any moment.
The meeting was attended by senior farmer leaders including Siba Prasad Pradhan, general secretary Hara Bania, Arun Kumar Sahu, Bhanjan Barik, Arun Pradhan, Surendra Meher, Minister Barik, Bijay Pradhan, Kuna Behera, Prabin Sahu, and Sitaram Meher.
