Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar: Even after the protracted hullabaloo over paddy procurement came to an end on March 31 in Odisha, hapless farmers are still out on streets in many parts of the State complaining irregularities in the process and demanding the immediate sale of their produce.

While millions of tonnes of paddy still lay un-procured due to various reasons, the government closed the Mandi gates on Wednesday after claiming it has already exceeded its target  by procuring 62.93 lakh metric tonne of paddy from 11.92 lakh farmers which is 18 per cent more in comparison to last year.

According to sources, while 14,99, 942 farmers had registered themselves for the procurement process, the State government selected 14, 72, 495 farmers to be eligible to sale their produces following scrutiny. However, only 11,92, 012 farmers could sell their paddy till the deadline. There is still a shortfall of close to 2.8 lakh farmers in the promised list who couldn’t sale their produces due to various alleged irregularities in the procurement process.

Distressing scenes have come to the fore from across Odisha, where farmers are still spending days in the scorching summer to protect their paddy.

The State government’s claim of a robust token system for paddy procurement has failed miserably in Bargarh, Bhadrak and several other districts where thousands of quintals of paddy are still lying unsold at various mandis.

“Our paddy could not been lifted as the tokens’ validity expired. Even cattle and goats ate away our paddy due to space crunch in the mandis. We don’t have a penny with us now. We are completely helpless. How would we feed our family ?” asked Banamali Jena, a farmer from Bargarh.

The farmers have been allegedly told that procurement target for the market season has been achieved and token deadline also has expired and that is why their produce is not being lifted.

On the other hand, Opposition BJP and Congress legislators have slammed the ruling BJD over Mandi mismanagement and irregularities in the paddy procurement.

Congress leader Sura Routray accused the State government of being ‘anti-farmer’.

“It’s been three months since paddy sacks are lying at mandis. The state government is talking about farmers’ welfare but not procuring paddy at the mandis. The farmers are in distress while the government is siding with the millers,” said Routray.

Meanwhile BJP has assured the farmers to rake up the matter in the Assembly.

“Around three lakh farmers have not sold their produces due to the irregularities in the procurement process and they are in distress. We will demand an extension in the deadline of the paddy procurement process in the Assembly,” said State BJP President Samir Mohanty.

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