SAMBALPUR: Amid the continuing uncertainty over procurement of their kharif paddy, farmers of Bargarh on Monday dashed off postcards to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking his immediate intervention to resolve the issue.
Hundreds of farmers marched to the main post office and queued up to send postcards to the chief minister, urging him to ensure issuance of tokens and procurement of their produce.
The move comes after a prolonged 15-day agitation during which the farmers staged a sit-in demonstration outside the district collector’s office after dumping paddy as a mark of protest.
The agitators said at least 4,804 farmers were left out of the registration process during the kharif procurement season despite submitting the required documents with the respective cooperative societies within the stipulated time. The matter was earlier brought to the notice of Bargarh MLA, the Food Supplies minister, and even the chief minister, but no concrete solution has emerged so far, they alleged.
Soon after the commencement of the procurement season, farmers had launched their protest on November 10. However, it was temporarily withdrawn following assurances from Attabira MLA Nihar Mahananda who had promised that all affected farmers would receive tokens enabling them to sell their paddy.
While some farmers have since received tokens, a large number of cultivators are still awaiting the same, leading to the resumption of an indefinite sit-in agitation from March 10.
Farmer leader Ramesh Mahapatra said, “The state government had claimed that paddy of genuine farmers would be procured. However, the reality on the ground is different. Many of us are still waiting for tokens despite completing all formalities. We feel our voices are not reaching the chief minister, which is why we were forced to write to him directly.”
Later in the day, a delegation of farmers met the additional district magistrate to apprise the administration of their ongoing protest. They also warned that if their demands are not addressed soon, they will be forced to launch a more intensified agitation in the coming days.