BARGARH: Traffic on NH-53 came to a grinding halt on Tuesday after farmers of Godbhaga area in Bargarh district spread paddy bags on the highway to protest delay in receiving tokens and slow pace of procurement.
The demonstration began at around 11 am after talks between farmer leaders and the district administration failed, prompting the cultivators to unload their produce on the highway and block the road with paddy-laden tractors.
The agitating farmers alleged that mandis are not functioning and lack of tokens had left them stranded. They claimed the paddy purchase has been paralysed for nearly a week despite procurement officially commencing on November 28. “We have not received tokens. Our paddy is lying in the open. We have no assurance when procurement will actually begin,” said the farmers.
The blockade triggered massive traffic congestion, with vehicles lined up for nearly seven km on both the Bargarh and Sambalpur sides starting from the square near Godbhaga mandi. As police tried to clear the stretch, the farmers refused to disperse leading to a tense standoff.
As the protest intensified, Bargarh sub-collector Prasanna Kumar Pandey and chief civil supplies officer Bibhu Prasanna Acharya reached the spot and held discussions with the agitators. Eventually, the farmers withdrew the protest after nearly four hours.
Farmer leader Birendra Kar said the agitation was called off after the administration assured to address the concerns. “Farmers have agreed to allow a deduction of one kg per quintal of paddy on the grounds of quality testing. We will not bear any further loss beyond that. The administration has agreed to these terms,” he said.
Sub-collector Pandey cited slow lifting process as the reason for the procurement delay. “Due to various issues, the pace of paddy procurement has reduced. Earlier, tokens were sent at once. But this year, the tokens are being issued in phases. However, we have held detailed discussions and agreed to the conditions put forward by farmers to ensure hassle-free procurement,” he said.
Sources said the administration has assured that all tokens would be distributed by December 20 along with a provision of one kg deduction per quintal of paddy. The procurement would be completed by January 15.