BARGARH : Several farmers from Bargarh district staged a protest on Thursday by dumping paddy in front of the collectorate, alleging delay in issuance of procurement tokens and failure of the administration to purchase their produce.
Although kharif paddy procurement began in the district on November 28 last year, farmers alleged that the process has not been managed smoothly, leaving many unable to sell their produce despite completing all required formalities.
According to official data, out of 1.64 lakh registered farmers in the district, tokens have been issued to around 1.62 lakh farmers, while verification of nearly 2,000 farmers is still pending. Among those who received tokens, about 1.57 lakh farmers have sold nearly 75 lakh quintals of paddy so far.
Meanwhile, a large quantity of harvested paddy continues to remain unsold at mandis, said farmer leader and advisor of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan Ramesh Mahapatra. Farmers said when they met the collector during the public grievance hearing on Monday to seek clarity on token issuance and procurement, they did not receive a clear response.
Angered by the situation, several farmers arrived on motorcycles carrying sacks of paddy and dumped them in front of the collectorate before staging a sit-in protest.