Bhubaneswar: The six-day long stalemate in the Assembly over the paddy procurement issue came to an end Friday after Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain assured the House that paddy would be procured from all registered farmers in the state till March 31.
As per the instruction of Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro, Swain made a fresh statement in the Assembly on the issue. The minister informed that in the current kharif marketing season, 61.24 lakh tonnes of paddy worth Rs 11,441 crore has been procured in the state so far.
The procurement process will continue till March 31, he said. Swain said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the authorities concerned to ensure that registered farmers did not face problems in selling their produce in the state.
The total paddy procured in this kharif season is 18 per cent higher than last year’s kharif season. Till date, 11.50 lakh farmers have sold their paddy to the government against 9.3 lakh last year which indicates more participation of farmers, Swain said.
The minister called upon the MLAs to report if they find any genuine farmer deprived of selling his paddy so that necessary steps can be taken to resolve the issue. The government is taking all possible steps to ensure smooth and hassle-free paddy procurement in the state, Swain added.
However, the minister’s statement failed to pacify the Opposition. Leader of Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik said the government has cheated them and asserted that they would not allow the House to function until all the paddy is procured from the farmers.
The BJP members also staged protest in the House for not allowing them to speak during the Zero Hour.
Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra sat on a dharna near the Speaker’s podium as he was not given more time to speak on the issue. Other party MLAs also joined Mishra. The Speaker adjourned the House multiple times following din.
PNN