Barpali: Farmers are facing difficulties to dispose of summer paddy that has been harvested in Barpali area of Bolangir.
Upset over this, they staged a road blockade Friday.
Monsoon rains have started, but thousands of packets of summer paddy have been stocked at the mandis. However, the paddy has remained unsold due to non-cooperation of millers.
Paddy stocks have soaked in the rains and started germinating in sacks, farmers alleged.
They lamented that they had repeatedly apprised the administration of the need for quick step to procure paddy, but nothing has been done till date.
Their accumulated anger spilled over with hundreds of farmers blocking the state highway 26 with paddy-laded tractors and trucks at Barpali-Tingipalli Chhak in the morning.
Tehsildar Yudhistir Meher, civil supplies officer Ranjan Nayak and RMC secretary Durgaprasad Chhuria rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating farmers.
The officials assured the farmers that steps will be taken within two days to procure paddy.
The farmers then relented, paving way for normal traffic.
PNN
