SAMBALPUR: Kharif paddy procurement in western Odisha districts stumbled at the very first step, with both Sambalpur and Bargarh unable to begin operations on Friday.
In Sambalpur, the kharif procurement failed to take off after millers refused to lift stock from the mandis, leaving farmers in the lurch.
Despite prior announcement of the date by the district administration, when the farmers arrived at Bareipali regulated market committee (RMC) with loaded vehicles, millers declined to accept the paddy.
Farmers alleged that millers not only declined to lift the stock but also walked out of a meeting held with the civil supplies officer (CSO) and farmer representatives. With no option left, the farmers staged demonstration for over six hours and later abandoned their harvested paddy in the mandi and returned home, triggering widespread resentment.
Farmer leaders accused the government for the mess. “The administration fixed the procurement date but the process did not start. Millers have no role in buying paddy from farmers; the Civil Supplies department purchases it and hands it over to millers. It clearly shows the government has no control over paddy procurement as millers refused to accept the stock,” said Byomkesh Thakur, president of Sambalpur Krushak Suraksha Sangathan.
On the other hand, Nitesh Bansal, member of Sambalpur Millers’ Association, said millers have not signed agreements due to long-pending grievances. “The government stopped several payments three years ago. Not a single miller in the state has signed an agreement this year. Unless these dues are cleared, no miller will agree to receive the harvested paddy of this season,” he said.
Tensions escalated when irate farmers surrounded CSO Subodh Hota, forcing Sambalpur sub-collector Pushpanjali Panda to rush to the mandi. Though the farmers had also decided to block the Mumbai-Kolkata National Highway, they withdrew the plan after the sub-collector assured them that the issue would be resolved soon.
Sub-collector Panda confirmed the issue and said, “All the paddy brought today will stay in the mandi with utmost safety. The collector is aware of the situation and a solution will be worked out,” she assured.
The Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS) issued an ultimatum to the district administration to resolve the crisis by 11 am on Saturday.
“Respecting the sub-collector’s assurance, we have given time till 11 am,” said Ashok Pradhan, the committee’s convener.
Neighbouring Bargarh faced a similar situation. A major concern of farmers was the non-registration of thousands of eligible farmers on the government portal which meant they were unable to officially participate in the procurement cycle despite having ready-to-sell paddy. According to farmer leaders, nearly 4,500 farmers have not registered for procurement.
Additionally, farmers complained of a significant delay in the issue of tokens without which they could not bring their harvest to the mandis.
Advisor of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan, Ramesh Mahapatra, said farmers have already dumped thousands of quintals of paddy across mandis.
“Due to the delay, nearly 10 per cent to 12 per cent of farmers have already sold their produce at throwaway prices,” he added,
He further warned that if the problem is not resolved by Saturday, they will launch a massive protest on Sunday and block the highways.