Farmers hit streets over delay in paddy procurement

Malkangiri: Worried over the long delay in procurement of paddy at different mandis in Malkangiri, farmers today staged demonstration by placing gunny bags filled with paddy on Malkangiri-Jeypore road near Padmagiri in the district.

According to sources, tonnes of paddy brought for sale by farmers from distant villages are lying outside the mandis for the last 15 days. The farmers are spending sleepless nights to guard them as no millers have come forward to take paddy from the mandis.

The farmers alleged that the district administration had not paid any heed to their repeated complaints.

Meanwhile, Malkangiri  Zilla Parishad President Dasaratha Padiami extended his support to the farmers and joined the protest.

"Despite frequently alerting the administration about the farmers' issues no steps have been taken in this regard," Padiami alleged.

The agitated farmers demanded that paddy procurement process should begin at the earliest and they should get actual pay of their produce.

Due to the protest, vehicular movement between Malkangiri and Jeypore was severely disrupted.

As per latest reports, police have reached the spot to pacify the farmers. The agitating farmers have threatened to continue the protest until their demands are fulfilled.