BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday came down heavily on the state government alleging complete failure of the paddy procurement process, and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to keep the promises made to farmers.
In a letter to the chief minister, the LoP said the current kharif procurement season has become a period of profound struggle for the farmers due to administrative apathy.
“I am writing to you with a heavy heart to bring to your immediate attention the acute distress and systemic exploitation being faced by the ‘Annadata’ of our state,” he said.
Referring to the 2024 election manifesto of the BJP promising enhanced minimum support price (MSP) and stopping ‘katni-chhatni’, Naveen said ground reality across mandis tell a story of betrayal. “Despite repeated assurances of a ‘hassle-free’ procurement, farmers are being subjected to arbitrary deductions of 5 kg to 7 kg per quintal under the guise of moisture content or poor quality.
In many districts, this exploitation is happening in broad daylight, often with the alleged collusion of millers and local officials, forcing farmers into a ‘mutual agreement’ that robs them of their hard-earned income,” he said.
The BJD president asked when would katni-chhatni stop and whether it was a false promise made by the BJP during election. “When will your government come forward to fulfil its electoral promise? When will farmers get justice as per your election manifesto?” he questioned.
Referring to the promise of input subsidy of `800 per quintal to support farmers, the LoP said the recent decision to cap it at a maximum of 150 quintal per farmer was a ‘clear breach of trust’.
“The ceiling penalises productive farmers and contradicts the ‘Sankalpa Patra’ of the BJP which did not specify such restrictive limits,” he added.
Naveen also pointed out that lack of basic facilities, failure of the token system and delay in payment, which had been promised within 48 hours through DBT but is taking weeks in many cases, have pushed farmers to the brink.
“These delays combined with arbitrary deductions are forcing indebted farmers into distress sale to private traders and millers at rates well below the official MSP,” he said.
The LoP urged the chief minister to deploy special squads in the mandis to stop katni-chhatni.
“Failure to address these grievances will leave the farming community with no choice but to intensify their protests across the state. I hope your government will rise above rhetoric and fulfil its promises to the farmers of Odisha,” he said.