SAMBALPUR: Alleging irregularities in the ongoing rabi paddy procurement, a large number of farmers staged road blockade near Sindurpank bypass here on Monday morning.
The protest, led by farmer outfits from Tabla, Kukudapali and Parmanpur, brought vehicular movement on the busy bypass road to a grinding halt for five hours. Many trucks and private vehicles were stranded on both sides of the route as protesters sat on the road demanding immediate intervention of the district administration.
The agitating farmers alleged delayed procurement, erratic functioning of mandis and arbitrary deduction of paddy. They said absence of a clearly defined procurement target for the district has created widespread confusion, making it difficult for them to plan their paddy sale and manage finances.
Farmer leaders alleged that several mandis are either closed or operating erratically, forcing cultivators to wait for days with their produce. The functional procurement centres are deducting paddy under the pretext of quality, reducing the already thin profit margins for small and marginal farmers, they claimed.
Convenor of Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti Ashok Pradhan alleged that the district administration has completely lost control over the procurement process. This year, the procurement target is being fixed from the state capital in a phased manner, leading to chaos and confusion at the mandis. Already reeling under crop damage due to the untimely rains, farmers are being forced to wait for days to sell their produce, he claimed.
“At a time when major decisions are being taken over conference calls, is it too much to expect the district collector to hold meetings with procurement agencies and millers to monitor the situation on the ground?” Pradhan questioned.
Later in the day, the district officials and police held several rounds of discussions with the agitating farmers. The blockade was lifted after the officials gave a written assurance that the procurement process would not be hindered due to target-related delays.