JEYPORE: With the staff of large area multi-purpose societies (LAMPS) staging dharna demanding hike in salaries, farmers of Koraput district stare at an uncertain fate as thousands of quintal paddy await to be lifted.
Sources said paddy procurement in Koraput district was scheduled to begin from June 3 for which the district administration had engaged 20 LAMPS, 15 self-help groups and three pani panchayats with a target to procure around 10 lakh quintal paddy from the farmers.
However, seven days have passed but the procurement agencies are yet to lift the paddy stocks from the farmers since LAMPS staff of the district are on dharna since June 1 demanding salary increment.
Meanwhile, in the absence of an alternative lifting arrangement, threshed paddy in Jeypore, Kotpad, Borigumma and Kundra regions wait to be procured due to the non-operation of local procurement centres.
Farmers of the areas fear their harvested paddy might get damaged due to frequent rains and thunderstorms. They alleged that they had been running from pillar to post to sell their harvest but to no avail.
To add to their woes, only 20 days are reportedly left for the procurement process to end in the district.
Leader of Koraput Krushak Kalyan Manch Narendra Pradhan expressed concern over the same and urged the administration to lift the paddy stocks from the villages before closure of the procurement process on June 30. Admitting to the delay in paddy procurement due to the agitation by LAMPS staff, district civil supplies officer PK Panda said, “We have requested the protestors to call off their agitation for the cause of the farmers and hope of getting a positive response soon.”
Koraput KCC bank president Iswar Chandra Panigrahi, meanwhile, held a meeting with the LAMPS union leaders on the day and urged them to participate in the procurement process considering the plight of farmers.