BARGARH: The demand for rollback of the newly-introduced kharif paddy procurement registration policy gained momentum on Tuesday as farmers submitted memorandums addressed to the chief minister at tehsil offices across all the 11 blocks of Bargarh district.
The move, led by Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing protest reflecting growing dissatisfaction among the local farmers.
Earlier on Monday, representatives of the farmers’ outfit had submitted a memorandum to Bargarh collector Aditya Goyal raising concerns over the revised registration guidelines. As per the new rules, farmers who sold paddy in previous years are required to register again between July 19 and August 20, to be eligible to sell their produce to government agencies.
The farmers said while landowners with valid records can register with minimal documentation, complications arise in cases where the original record holder has died. In such instances, legal heirs must now produce a family tree certificate from the revenue inspector, establishing equal ownership rights of all male and female members. Moreover, every shareholder must physically visit the society office to submit biometric and iris scans and authenticate an OTP sent to their registered mobile number.
The outfit alleged that the new process could disqualify a large number of genuine farmers, especially the elderly and joint landowners, from taking part in the procurement process. Around 70 to 80 per cent of farmers in the district could be left out of the process, forcing them to rely on middlemen and exposing them to exploitation.
Advisor of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan Ramesh Mahapatra said, “This policy may look well-structured on paper, but it is completely disconnected from ground realities. Expecting elderly farmers or joint landowners to undergo biometric verification and OTP-based approval is unrealistic. The system must be simplified to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers.”
The farmers’ outfit reiterated its demand to implement permanent registration with periodic updates, instead of mandatory re-verification every season. The farmers warned that if their demands are not met, protest will be further intensified in the days ahead.