BHUBANESWAR: The State government has virtually stopped paddy procurement in the coastal districts almost three weeks before the official closure date of March 31. Like last year, a substantial number of tokens allotted to farmers have either lapsed or set to be invalid as there is no offtake of their produce.
While the refusal of designated agencies to accept the quantum of paddy mentioned in the tokens has caused huge resentment among farmers across the districts, one Gopinath Barik of Musang village under Tihidi block in Bhadrak district has threatened to sue the State government for breach of trust.
Barik has registered (Reg.No: F04070011549) for sale of paddy under minimum support price (MSP) scheme in the current kharif marketing season. He received online token (No. 377) on January 20 for sale of 58.33 quintal on January 28. His wife Sanghamitra Roy (Reg.No: F04070011541), another registered farmer, was authorised to sell 28.75 quintal on January 26.
Barik approached Nabagraha SHG Federation, a women’s group of Musang and the designated agency for paddy procurement, on the appointed dates to sell their stock. He, however, was asked to come on February 22 as there were many farmers waiting for disposal of their paddy. The SHG members also told Barik that they can accept only three quintals of paddy as the government has put a cap on procurement.
Meanwhile, he received an SMS from the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) department over failing to sell the paddy on the appointed date and time. The farmer and 40 others of the village, whose tokens got lapsed on February 26, then asked the agency to give it in writing that it is not in a position to procure more paddy in view of the restriction imposed by the government. The agency complied with in writing.
Not stopping at that, Barik went to Tihidi police station to file an FIR against the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of the FS&CW department holding them responsible for the criminal breach of trust. The inspector-in-charge of the police station refused to accept his complaint saying this does not make out a case since the paddy is with the owner.
Barik told this paper that he is planning to take legal recourse because he is penalised by the government for no fault of his. “The government is forcing me to sell my paddy at a huge loss as the prevailing market rate is Rs 1,300 per quintal when the minimum support price is Rs 1,940 per quintal,” he said.
Many such reports are pouring in from all the coastal districts as the miller-driven paddy procurement is forcing farmers to go for distress sale.