BHAWANIPATNA: The agitation in Madhya Pradesh found its echo in Odisha as hundreds of farmers on Thursday resorted to road blockade in Kalahandi where paddy procurement has been paralysed for the past three days.
A day before 62 farmers’ organisations observe a bandh over the Mandsaur firing, farmers blocked roads at three places, including along NH 26, protesting non-procurement of paddy at the designated centres.
Rabi paddy procurement has come to a grinding halt in Kalahandi district as custom millers have stopped work for the past three days as a mark of protest against the Odisha Civil Supply Corporation (OCSC) order to stop payment of handling charges of `4 per quintal paid to them.
About 60 custom millers are engaged for the rabi paddy procurement in the district. The OCSC, in its June 12 order, discontinued the handling charges paid to the custom millers for delivering the stock of rice at Rice Receiving Centre (RRC)-cum-Departmental Storage Centre (DSC) and stacking inside the godown citing that the handling charges amount to double payment.
As a result, about 2 lakh quintals of rabi paddy are yet to be procured from the farmers. About 12.51 lakh quintals of rabi paddy have already been purchased in 70 purchasing centres run by 43 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, District Civil Supply Officer Siba Prasad Dora said.
Farmers forum to protest Mandsaur killings today
SAMBALPUR: The Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS) will be staging road block across Western Odisha on Friday for one hour condemning killings of farmers at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. They will also demand implementation of recommendations of Swaminathan Commission. POKSSS convenor Ashok Pradhan said 62 organisations will take part in the farmers’ protest scheduled to be held in various States on Friday over the issue.