Bargarh: The farmers across Bargarh district, known as Odisha’s rice bowl, have been repeatedly complaining about irregularities in the paddy procurement process, but strangely the district administration has just lent a deaf ear to their plight.
Token system has been made compulsory for the farmers at the time of entry in the Mandis. But it is alleged that many farmers have been deprived of tokens.
According to reports, many farmers across the district are spending sleepless night in this chilly weather to protect their paddy in the mandis. They are still waiting for tokens as their produces are not procured.
On the other hand, some of the farmers have got tokens, but their paddy is not yet procured as no millers have come forward to lift paddy.
“I have got my token. But my paddy has not been procured due to the absence of millers. I have to spend sleepless night in this chilly weather to protect my produces as there is a fear of theft,” said Laxman Pradhan, a farmer at Sarakanta Mandi.
However, despite repeated complaints by farmers on irregularities, no step has been taken by the district administration.
(Edited by Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)