SAMBALPUR: Normal life across Sambalpur district came to a grinding halt on Friday as farmers observed a 12-hour bandh demanding faster and smoother procurement of kharif paddy.
Due to the dawn-to-dusk shutdown led by Sambalpur Zilla Krushak Surakhya Sangathan, most commercial and institutional establishments including government and private offices, banks, markets, shopping complexes, colleges and schools remained closed. However, essential services and vehicular movement were allowed, and no disruption was reported on national highways or railway routes except for public buses.
Several groups of agitating farmers were seen holding peaceful demonstrations and picketing at various key locations in the city. The impact of the shutdown was equally visible in rural pockets of the district. In a symbolic gesture, groups of farmers visited several government offices and sought the cooperation of officials with folded hands.
More than 50 outfits including the Sambalpur unit of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) extended support to the agitating farmers and actively participated in the bandh.
Led by former minister and district BJD president Rohit Pujari, hundreds of party leaders and workers joined the protest and took out a rally through various parts of the city, appealing to citizens to support the shutdown. The rally culminated at Nelson Mandela square where party leaders raised slogans against the BJP government and strongly voiced support for farmers’ rights and demands.
Addressing the gathering, BJD leaders accused the state government of failing to ensure a smooth and transparent procurement process, alleging that token-related irregularities had caused severe hardship to farmers during the ongoing kharif season.
The protesters demanded a long-term remedy to recurring problems in the procurement system, alleging that although paddy purchase started on November 28, a large number of farmers are still waiting for tokens required to sell their produce at the mandis.
Convener of Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSS) Ashok Pradhan said, “If the government continues to ignore our demands, the situation will worsen and the agitation will be intensified across the region.”