BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly on Monday witnessed noisy scenes and was adjourned till the post-lunch session over the delay in procurement of paddy in many districts of the State as Congress members shouted slogans against the Government calling it “anti-farmer”.
As soon as the House assembled at 10:30 am, Speaker Surya Narayan Patro asked Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra to reply to a question from Byomakesh Ray (BJD). However, Congress members were on their feet demanding withdrawal of the centralised token (authorisation slip to sell paddy at Government mandi) system on the paddy procurement which they alleged has caused delay and resulted in distress sale.
They trooped into the well and shouted slogans against the Government calling it “anti-farmer”. They alleged that farmers, who have been taking paddy to mandis (procurement centres) since November 15, are yet to sell due to the online token system introduced by the State Government.
Unable to run the proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm. Raising the issue during the afternoon session, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra said harvested paddy has no takers as farmers are yet to get the tokens.
Assembly uproar over delay in paddy purchase
"The Government in all probability has joined hands with unscrupulous businessmen, middlemen and mill owners to exploit the farmers," he said. Alleging that farmers have lost thousands of crores because of the delay and distress sale, the CLP leader said this has proved how clean the Government is.
"All the primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) and central cooperative banks (CCBs) are dens of corruption and the Government is protecting them to loot the farmers," he said.
Mishra demanded that Government should purchase paddy directly from the farmers and book the unscrupulous traders who are exploiting them.BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra, who represents Sambalpur in Assembly, also criticised the Government policy.
“The Odisha Government has introduced State-level token system following Punjab Government’s policy. This is not possible in Odisha. The farmers in the State need token at the local level so that they can sell their paddy easily,” he told reporters outside the Assembly. Meanwhile, Opposition BJP members boycotted the House and continued their dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises.