Malkangiri: Normal life in several parts of Malkangiri district came to a standstill after hundreds of farmers resorted to road blockade over delay in paddy procurement and lack of tokens in the local procurement centre here Monday.
Farmers under Korukonda large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) jurisdiction blocked the Malkangiri-Balimela road by parking paddy-laden tractors for hours. Vehicular movement was affected owing to the dawn to dusk road blockade. The blockade was later lifted with the intervention of the local administration.
Raising slogans against discrepancies in paddy procurement, the farmers under the banner of Zilla Krushak Mahasangha demanded intervention of the district administration and state government.
The agitating farmers claimed that 886 farmers under Korukonda LAMPS are yet to receive tokens to sell their paddy. Currently, paddy stocks are not being lifted by millers on time following which the farmers are forced to spend sleepless nights at the procurement centres guarding their produce. Although civil supply officers are aware of the situation, no action has been taken.
The state government is currently procuring 19 quintal per acre in irrigated and 12 quintal from non-irrigated areas.
Farmers who have registered their names under the paddy procurement automation system for selling their surplus paddy to government agencies under the price support system are unable to dispose of their stock owing to such lapse, the protestors alleged. They also said that non-irrigated lands have been mentioned as irrigated in official papers. Besides, millers are not providing gunny bags to farmers for stocking paddy or reimbursing the amount that they are spending towards purchasing the bags.
Blaming the administration for the irregularities, the president of the agitating farmers Ghenu Muduli said the irregularities are a result of nexus between millers and officials with vested interest. He said LAMPS authorities are only procuring 40 quintal paddy from 10 acre land. Besides, paddy grown on land provided to them under Forest Rights Act is not being procured.
PNN