Kalampur: Protesting against the inordinate delay in paddy procurement, hundreds of farmers Tuesday hit the streets of Kalampur in Kalahandi district, disrupting normal life.
Many vehicles were left stranded on both sides of the road from morning onwards as the farmers staged a road blockade protesting the delay in paddy procurement at the mandi near the Kalampur tehsil office.
The farmers blocked the Junagarh-Kalampur Road by parking paddy laden-tractors in the middle of the road.
They also said that they would suffer heavy losses if their paddy was not purchased from the mandi on time as rains are coming. The public had a harrowing time as the movement of traffic was paralysed by the protest. Reports said hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the roads.
The farmers said they had brought several quintals of paddy to the mandi by spending huge amounts on transportation. But millers have not procured the paddy, forcing them to spend sleepless nights guarding their produce.
The farmers said that they are unable to go for other important things as they are stuck with the paddy. They said that despite repeated pleas no official has helped them.
The millers said that there were no trucks and sacks to transport the paddy, and that it was delaying procurement.
Dharmagarh sub-Collector Padmanav Behera, Assistant Supply Inspector Prafulla Das, Mukhijuda Market Committee Secretary Anil Kumar Rout and the police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the farmers.
After hearing the pleas of the farmers, the sub-Collector directed officials to take immediate steps to buy the farmers’ paddy.
PNN