BARGARH: Protesting exclusion of many farmers from the paddy procurement registration process, members of Sanyukta Krushak Sangathan (SKS) staged demonstration and locked the office of the deputy registrar of cooperative societies (DRCS) here on Monday.
In the morning, hundreds of farmers from different villages reached the DRCS office to enquire about the status of pending registrations. When they did not get a satisfactory response, they forced the staff out of the office, locked the gates and staged dharna on the premises.
Simultaneously, farmer outfits also locked the primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) in several blocks across Bargarh district over the issue.
The agitating farmers alleged that due to server failure, technical glitches and inadequate arrangements at the PACS, thousands of genuine cultivators could not complete the registration process before the portal closed on August 25 midnight.
“Around 500 farmers under Jhilminda PACS and 700-800 under Saharatikra PACS are yet to be registered. Nearly 10,000 farmers across the district have been left out of the procurement process. Where will these farmers sell their paddy and how will they meet their expenses?” questioned the agitators.
Advisor of SKS Ramesh Mahapatra said after farmers staged multiple protests, the state government eased the complex registration norms. However, many farmers could not register themselves as there was not enough time left. Despite having documents, they were deprived of registration in the last few days before the portal closed due to server failures. “We even approached the minister concerned, but no concrete action was taken,” he alleged.
Mahapatra further said no farmer should be left out of the registration process. “If the administration fails to address this issue by Thursday, our protest will continue and we will lock the DRCS office for an indefinite period,” he warned.
Later in the day, DRCS Jugal Das reached his office from a weekly public hearing and held talks with the agitating farmers. He assured that all cultivators who submitted documents at PACS by August 25 would be registered without fail. Subsequently, the farmers unlocked the office and called off their agitation.