Dharmagarh: Vehicular movement was disrupted on Nabarangpur-Bhawanipatna road today after local farmers blocked the National Highway-26 near Moter Chhak by placing paddy sacks over procurement delay.
The protesting farmers staged the road blockade since this morning alleging that the 71 local market yards have not been procuring paddy for past three days.
Rabi paddy procurement has been paralysed in the backward district as custom millers have stopped work for the past three days as a mark of protest against an order of Odisha Civil Supply Corporation to stop payment of handling charges of Rs 4 per quintal paid to them.
About 60 custom millers are engaged for the Rabi paddy procurement in the district.
Odisha Civil supply Corporation in its June 12 order discontinued the handling charges paid to the custom millers for delivering the stock of rice at RRC-cum-DSC and stacking inside the godown.
Delay in procurement of paddy by the state government has become a major problem for the farmers due to the onset of monsoon. They fear that bags of paddy bags stocked at different procurement centres may get spoilt in the rain.
As a result of the blockade on NH 26 and Dasigaon Mandi road vehicular movement was disrupted on Nabarangpur-Bhawanipatna road and between Junagarh and Kalampur respectively.
The road communication between Baldiamal and Dharamgarh was also disrupted due to a road blockade near Naktiguda mandi by farmers.
On the other hand Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Surya Narayan Patro said handling charges of millers have been discontinued as per Central government rules and he has discussed with the District Collector over the farmers' issue.
Earlier on May 27, farmers at Bijmara under Kalampur block of Kalahandi had blocked the road by placing gunny bags filled with paddy demanding the local market yard to expedite procurement process.
The farmers alleged they are being harassed by the market yard staff and middlemen who allegedly reduce the weight of paddy from each quintal citing reasons like high moisture content in it.