JEYPORE: Despite the BJP’s assurance of ending ‘katni chhatni’ during campaigning before elections, the practice continues to prevail in Koraput district leaving farmers in the lurch in the current rabi procurement season.
Farmers allege millers are forcibly acquiring an additional 4 to 6 kg paddy per quintal despite the grains being of good quality. Sources said rabi paddy procurement is already going on at a snail’s pace in the district with only 442 farmers having sold 3,663 metric tonne paddy till June 15.
Farmers said they were hoping to sell their paddy to mandis at the increased support price of `3,100 from existing `2,183 as promised by the BJP government but since no clarity has been received as yet in this regard, they are left with no other option than to sell their stock in the open market.
Meanwhile, the ‘katni chhatni’ process has irked most of them leading to further delay in the procurement process. Farmers alleged millers are illegally demanding an extra 4 to 6 kg paddy on the pretext of poor quality but since there is no official to address the issue, it remains unresolved. On Monday, a tussle reportedly broke out between farmers and millers at a procurement centre in Anta village over the issue.
“We have no option but to pay extra paddy to millers as there is no official at the mandis to whom we can air our grievance,” said Guru Sukri, a farmer of Dhanpur village.
Justifying the same, a miller leader of the Koraput Millers Association asserted the paddy supplied by farmers is of poor quality and gives less output during custom milling. Koraput chief district civil supplies officer PK Panda, however, claimed the procurement process is going smoothly in the district.