KENDRAPARA: Distress sale of paddy by farmers has been a major election plank and politicians are promising to come to their aid. In Kendrapara, a large number of farmers are not in a mood to support the ruling party in the coming polls over their demands of price, prestige and pension. Though BJD has been raising voice for the cause of farmers, the community is in no mood to budge from their stand.
With the millers failing to procure paddy from farmers at the government decided minimum support price of `1,750, the farmers are compelled to sell it to outside agencies at throwaway prices between `1,200 and `1,500, said Umesh Singh, a farmer leader and president of district unit of Krushak Sabha.“Millers are not interested to purchase paddy from us because of which I sold three quintals of paddy at mere `3,600 last week. I will not vote in favour BJD as this government is anti-farmer,” said Satrughan Jena of Gandakhia village in the district.
District Congress president and former MLA, Chinmay Beura said a large number of farmers across the district are being forced into distress sale, resulting in huge financial losses. Thousands of farmers have raised their voices against BJD alleging anti-farmer policies and Congress will bank on this anti-government factor, he added.
Hundreds of paddy farmers are in deep trouble in the district as millers are reluctant to purchase paddy from farmers though more than 5 lakh quintals of paddy in the 115 paddy procurement centres (Mandis) of the government in the district.The State Government is playing with the lives of farmers for which, they will not vote in favour of BJD in the election, said Dyurodhan Sahoo, president of district unit of BJP.
Former chairman of Kendrapara municipality and BJD leader Dhiren Sahoo said distress sale of paddy is not an issue in the coming polls in Kendrapara district as the Government has already opened several paddy procurement centres in all the nine blocks.
District Supply Officer Rajanikant Das said, “As many as 21 millers have already purchased 6,13,973 quintals of paddy from farmers in the paddy procurement centres and provided 1,40,085 quintals of rice to us. We have a stock of five lakh quintals of paddy in the procurement centres. Rice mill owners of the district are reluctant to procure more paddy from mandis for which we recently urged the millers of other areas of the State to purchase paddy from the mandis.”