Koksara: Tension prevailed as farmers blocked the National Highway-26 over delay in paddy procurement at Amapani paddy procurement centre under this block in Kalahandi district, Monday.
This is the second time farmers are staging a road blockade over delay in paddy procurement in various mandis under the block. However, despite the agitation the authorities have failed to streamline the procurement process. The farmers who were waiting in the mandis guarding their paddy stocks in this biting cold are aggrieved over the unnecessary delay caused by the mandi authorities in procuring their stocks.
The road blockade disrupted traffic on the route connecting Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district with Borigumma in Koraput district as hundreds of vehicles were left stranded on both sides of the highway.
On being informed, Amapani police rushed to the spot and tried to placate the agitating farmers but the latter refused to listen and carried on with their road blockade. The farmers finally relented after Koksara tehsildar Mousumi Nayak talked to them on phone and assured them to lift their stocks by Tuesday.
PNN