Paddy procurement: Odisha launches 24-hour control room, toll-free helpline number for farmers

A round-the-clock control room has been launched to oversee and resolve disruptions affecting paddy procurement in mandis across the state, informed Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Wednesday.

This initiative, spearheaded by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department, aims to promptly address any irregularities occurring in the mandis. Farmers now have the opportunity to voice their concerns through a dedicated toll-free helpline, 1967, which has been set up specifically to address complaints concerning market operations.

The command control centre, established under the aegis of the supplies department, facilitates comprehensive CCTV surveillance of all mandis. Upon receipt of complaints, nodal officers would be dispatched without delay to mitigate the issues faced by the farmers. 

“In paddy mandis, all across the state, our aim is to ensure that farmers do not face any hurdle and get money deposited directly in their accounts. So, we have appointed one nodal officer each in every mandi. The control room is equipped with all the modern equipment,” informed Minister Patra.

“If need be, we will hold discussions with the farmers and also the mandi officers. If there is any problem, the Odisha government will be directly apprised of it. So, there is very little chance of any problem for farmers or incidents of ‘katni chatni’. We are also ensuring that no broker/middlemen influence the farmers. Hopefully, the control room will benefit the farmers,” the Minister said further adding that the government is actively working towards ensuring the timely procurement of paddy, aiming to quickly resolve any challenges that arise at the mandis.

Earlier, the Minister had warned that mismanagement and corruption at paddy mandis would not be tolerated and accused would face stern action.

Katni Chatni Allegations in Sambalpur

A few farmers in Sambalpur had alleged ‘katni chatni’ and claimed that they could not procure their paddy despite meeting the FAQ standards. The allegations were brought from Chanurapur mandi in Sambalpur.

On being informed, officials from the Supplies department reached the mandi and held a discussion with the farmers.

Delay in Token Issuance

Farmers in Bargarh district recently expressed discontentment due to alleged delay in token issuance and tardy pace of Kharif paddy procurement. Even though the paddy procurement began on November 20 in Bargarh, the farmers are reportedly yet to get the tokens while others are issued tokens for the month of December.