BARGARH: Amid mounting uncertainty over the slow pace of Rabi paddy procurement due to limited issuance of tokens, farmers from Bargarh staged a demonstration in front of the collectorate on Wednesday, demanding immediate intervention in the matter.
The farmers, under the banner of Jaya Kisan Andolan, submitted a memorandum to collector Aditya Goyal, claiming
that inadequate token allocation has left cultivators anxious at a time when paddy procurement has already begun in the district. Alleging arbitrary reduction in token allocation, the farmers warned that thousands of cultivators could suffer heavy losses if the issue is not resolved at the earliest.
Farmers said that both irrigated and non-irrigated areas have witnessed a sharp reduction in token allotment during the ongoing Rabi season. They claimed that farmers cultivating land irrigated through deep borewells, who earlier received tokens for sale of up to 65 quintals of paddy per hectare, are now being issued tokens ranging from just one to 40 quintals.
A delegation of farmers held prolonged discussions with the collector over the issue. However, they claimed that the collector expressed inability to resolve the matter, stating that the issue was beyond his authority and would be brought to the notice of the government. He reportedly also said he could not assure when fresh tokens would be issued or whether they would be issued at all.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the administration’s response, the farmers warned that they would launch a massive agitation if the issue was not resolved soon. Attempts to contact the collector for his comment were unsuccessful.