BALASORE: Alleging irregularities in paddy procurement, hundreds of farmers staged road blockade on state highway-19 at Jamuna village in Nilagiri here on Wednesday.
The protest was held near Jamuna paddy procurement centre under Chhatrapur branch of Matiali cooperative society. The agitating farmers placed sacks of paddy on the road and blocked traffic, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway for around five hours. The farmers claimed they have received tokens to sell their paddy in the cooperative society on various dates in February and March. However, in absence of procurement targets, their produce is not being purchased by the society officials. Adding to their worries, the Balasore administration has decided to stop procurement in the district from March 26, they said.
The agitators demanded an increase in procurement targets, end to deductions, purchase of paddy in sequence as per tokens, and extension of the procurement deadline.
Later in the day, Nilagiri assistant registrar of cooperative societies Bishnumohan Mallik, assistant civil supplies officer Bidyutlata Nayak, MI Rajalakshmi Panda along with the local police reached the protest site and held discussion with the agitators. The road blockade was lifted after Nayak assured the farmers that all their demands would be addressed.