BARGARH: Amid the ongoing procurement woes in Bargarh district, a delegation of farmers from Rajbodasambar Krushak Sangathan visited several mandis in Padampur sub-division where over 8 lakh packets of paddy are reportedly lying unlifted.
Following their visit, the farmers outfit called for immediate action. The team visited mandis in Bukuramunda, Temri, Bhengrajpur, Paikmal, Sareikela, Lakhmara, Chadrapali, Satibhata in Paikmal besides Amthi, Gothuguda, Bilaspur, Kandangar, Dabha, Kurlupali, Bhaisadara, Laudidarha, Jagdalpur in Jharbandh block of Padampur.
While 18.34 lakh quintal has been procured from Attabira regulated market committee (RMC), 19.30 quintal has been procured from Bargarh RMC. Similarly, 17.73 lakh quintal paddy has been purchased from Padampur RMC so far which would cover 60 per cent of the total target set for this season.
This apart, around 10,000 to 15,000 packets of paddy are lying unlifted across more than 70 mandis in the district. There are many mandis, including over 30 in Padampur, where paddy bags have been dumped in large quantities waiting to be procured.
Farmer leader and member of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan Ramesh Mahapatra said his team visited several mandis in Padampur sub-division and found that out of the 70 mandis, around 30-35 mandis have 10,000-15,000 bags lying unlifted. “In total, around 8,41,704 bags of paddy are yet to be lifted from Padampur RMC. At a time when farmers have already started work for rabi cultivation, they are gripped with uncertainty over procurement of their kharif paddy,” he said.
The farmers also claimed that though government officials claim that there is no deduction on FAQ grade paddy, farmers are bearing a deduction of at least 2 kg on every quintal of paddy to get their paddy lifted.
“Farmers of Padampur are severely unhappy over this callous attitude of the district administration. We will move the district collector in this regard on Friday. But we will be forced to launch a fresh protest if no action is taken at the earliest,” Mahapatra added.