Bhubaneswar: Mismanagement in paddy procurement rocked the Assembly for the second consecutive day Tuesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging that the state government was buying paddy from the agents instead of farmers.
The House could not transact any business during a major part of the pre-lunch session as both the opposition Congress and the BJP carrying placards rushed to the well, shouted slogans and disrupted the proceedings of forcing Speaker S N Patro to adjourn the House twice.
The House was adjourned first at 10:30am till 11:30am and again from 11:32am till 12:50pm.
The House did not conduct any business and adjourned for the day Monday as the agitated Congress and BJP members alleging mismanagement in paddy procurement stalled the business forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house for as many as 16 times.
As soon as the House assembled Tuesday to take up the Question Hour, Congress and BJP members carrying placards rushed to the well and shouted slogans demanding the government to procure paddy from the farmers.
Repeated appeal of the Speaker to the Opposition members to return to their seat and cooperate with the business of the House failed to yield any result.
Realising that the business could no longer be conducted smoothly, the Speaker adjourned the House at 10:30am till 11:30am.
When the House met after the adjournment at 11:30am, the opposition members again trooped into the well, shouted slogans and disrupted the proceedings.
The Speaker then adjourned the House at 11:32am till 12:50pm and called an all-party meeting to resolve the issue.
The House functioned normal after the all-party meeting and the Speaker announced in the House that paddy procurement will continue till March 31 and token for paddy procurement would be issued to farmers much before the deadline.
Patro said the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister has already started discussing the issue with the MLAs of the paddy procuring districts and would take steps to sort out the problem.
Following the Speaker’s appeal to members to participate in the business of the House, the members participated in the business.
Leader of Opposition P K Nayak said there has been large-scale mismanagement in paddy procurement this time due to the introduction of token system which was never seen before.
He said, “While token was generated against farmers who have not brought their paddy to the mandis, paddy of many farmers was still lying in mandis and no step is being taken to lift it.”
Nayak alleged that the farmers are unable to sell their paddy since the government is procuring paddy from the agents. The farmers are also facing problems as they have no space to stock their paddy.
He said since the token system was introduced for the first time this year many farmers could not register their names to sell their paddy and requested the government to procure paddy from farmers who have not registered.
His party colleague Jaynarayan Mishra urged the government to procure paddy affected by the rain at the MSP even if it is discoloured or has high moisture content.
Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra said the farmers are being exploited as the government joined hands with the millers and expressed his concern over the non-procurement of paddy from the farmers.
Mishra alleged that deduction ranging from two to 14 kg is being made per quintal of paddy in the name of non-FAQ paddy and if the farmer objected to it his paddy is not being purchased. Many farmers could not register themselves as they are not literate and urged the government to consider their case.
He threatened that the House will be paralysed again if the government did not take any concrete step in this regard.
BJP MLA Bishnu Sethi said the objective of the token system to eliminate middlemen in paddy procurement has failed.
He demanded the government to either abolish the token system or to simplify it for the convenience of the farmers.
Sethi demanded to constitute a committee to suggest how the farmers would get maximum benefits for their produce.
Tara Prasad Bahinipati (Congress) demanded to raise the limit for paddy procurement in non-irrigated areas and to initiate steps to procure the entire paddy from the farmers.