Bhubaneswar: Protesting farmers scuffled with the police here on Monday when they were stopped from proceeding to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence to press for demands relating to paddy procurement in the state.
Some agitators were taken into custody as a preventive measure, the police said.
A large number of farmers under the aegis of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) waved placards and shouted slogans against deducting five to seven kg of paddy in every quintal allegedly under the pretext of bad quality produce.
They also alleged denial of proper MSP (minimum support price) on the sale of paddy. The Sangathan claimed that the farmers were forced to hit the street as they are yet to get the MSP for paddy and are suffering as middlemen make a profit at their cost.
Unable to reach Naveen Niwas, the chief minister’s residence, the agitators staged a demonstration near the Airport police station and threatened to hold protests across the state if their demands are not met.
“This was a trailer, the protest will be intensified. The farmers are ready to go to jail for their rights,” an NKS member said.
They also placed bags of paddy on the streets here as a mark of protest.
“The government is focussing on the Men’s Hockey World Cup and farmers are left to be exploited by middlemen and officials at the paddy procurement centers,” the Sangathan said.
-PTI
