BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Friday said the continued delay by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in lifting rice from Odisha had created a stalemate that could pose serious problems for farmers during the upcoming paddy procurement season.
Addressing a press conference here, former ministers Sanjay Das Burma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak urged the state government to immediately take up the matter with the Centre and ensure that the FCI resumes lifting rice from Odisha without further delay.
The BJD leaders alleged that failure by the FCI to lift the rice could lead to large-scale mismanagement during the procurement season. “The farmers are already facing difficulties, including shortages and problems in getting fertilisers. Issues related to paddy registration and alleged irregularities at mandis have added to their woes,” they said.
They said the FCI was supposed to lift 30 lakh tonne of rice from Odisha by September. However, only around 7-8 lakh metric tonne have been lifted so far. Criticising Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra, the BJD leaders alleged that he had failed to resolve the issue and publicly expressed his helplessness.
Patra had stated that he had visited Delhi seven times and met the Union minister to raise the issue of rice lifting from Odisha. Despite this, the Centre had failed to act on his concerns, they alleged.
This has vindicated the BJD’s charge that the Centre was neglecting the state.