Press Trust of India
Koraput, August 18: Around 800 farmers of tribal-dominated Koraput district are yet to be paid for the paddy sold to large area multi-purpose societies (LAMPS) during the rabi marketing season.
“The LAMPS bought the paddy June 30 with a promise to pay us soon. But we have not received our money till now. The authorities concerned are yet to respond to our repeated requests,” alleged Susant Kumar Pradhan, a farmer of Phampuni. He had sold 100-quintal paddy at Kundura LAMPS.
Koraput district had a procurement target of 1.5 lakh quintal for the rabi marketing season and the administration opened 18 mandis from June 5 to 30 for the purpose, sources said adding the procurement target was subsequently raised to 3.75 lakh quintal.
“All payments up to procurement of 3,67,182 quintal of paddy had been cleared. The problem arose when the government again increased the target without allocating funds. We have informed our higher-ups about the issue and the farmers will be paid as soon as the funds are released,” said R N Sahoo, secretary of Koraput Central Co-operative Bank under which the LAMPS functions.
The farmes have threatened to launch an agitation if the payments are not cleared at the earliest.