BALANGIR: Members of Zilla Krushak Mahasangh have demanded timely procurement of paddy in the district on Wednesday.At a meeting, farmers criticised the district administration for delay in opening mandis under the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS). Though farmers have already harvested their crops and administration had earlier decided to start procurement from November 6, the mandis are yet to be made operational, they alleged.
President of the forum Sudhir Paricha said further delay in opening the mandis will allow unscrupulous traders to procure the paddy from the rural areas and farmers will be forced to make distress sale. Similarly, the administration is yet to implement the P-Pass system for online registration farmers, he said and threatened to intensify the agitation.
Sources said during the district-level paddy purchase committee meeting, the administration had decided to open 158 mandis across Balangir to procure paddy from November 6. It was decided to procure from 750 to 1,000 quintals of paddy per day per centre. However, the strike by PACS officials over pay fixation has delayed the procurement plan.Civil Supply Officer (CSO) in-charge B S Kar said the agitation launched by PACS employees was called off on Wednesday and paddy procurement will begin in the district soon.
Farmers block NH
Bhawanipatna: Hundreds of farmers of Kalahandi, led by district president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) Debendra Pattjoshi, staged a road blockade on National Highway (NH)-26 at Motor Chowk on Wednesday protesting the paddy procurement policy of the State Government.
The agitators alleged that PACS officials are allowing only fair average quality (FAQ) paddy for procurement at the purchase centres and farmers, who have suffered crop damage due to the recent untimely rain, are being harassed. Similarly, rice millers engaged at the centres
are deducting 5 to 10 kg from the paddy bags of farmers on the plea of quality testing. Instead of FAQ norms, the PACS officials should purchase paddy as per the ‘Under Relaxed Specifications (URS)’ of the procurement policy, they said.
As farmers of the district have suffered heavy loss due to pest attack and unseasonal rains, they demanded that the State Government should provide bonus for them.Sources said due to strike, vehicular traffic on the NH was paralysed for more than four hours disrupting communication between Kalahandi and Nabarangpur/Koraput. Later, Dharmagarh SDPO Y Vijaya rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators.
When contacted, District Civil Supply Officer Sibaprasad Dora said as per the decision of the Government, PACS officials have been asked to purchase FAQ paddy from farmers.