Rupsa: Farmers in Rupsa area of Balasore district were sore over the online token system for paddy procurement.
The famers affiliated to Routpada Cooperative Society under Balasore-Bhadrak Central Cooperative Bank expressed their displeasure over the slow pace of e-token disbursal. They have warned of agitation against it.
It was learnt that the civil supplies department has issued tokens to only eight farmers. Farmers have accused the civil supplies department of arbitrary attitude.
They have decided to stage protests against the civil supplies department in Balasore December 17.
Reports said 418 farmers from Gadapada, Routapada, Dudhahinsa and Bharda panchayats had registered their names online for paddy sale in the current khariff season.
The civil supplies department after verifying documents has prepared a list of 367 eligible farmers for procurement.
As many as 235 farmers were notified to sell their paddy at Gadapada procurement centre and 132 at Nuagan procurement centre.
In the first phase, the society was given a target of 35 tonnes of paddy.
About 54 farmers had uploaded their details. A directive was issued to the procurement centres to start procurement from December 16. Surprisingly, only eight famers had been provided tokens.
Local farmers’ associations, farmer leaders, secretary of the sociality and president held a meeting and opposed the arbitrary work of the civil supplies department.
Farmer leaders like Mohan Jena, Gangadhar Panigrahi, Manas Mishra, Manoranjan Mohapatra and Pradip Panda decided that they will agitate in front of the civil supplies office in Balasore December 17.
It is alleged that the slow pace of token disbursal will leave farmers impatient. They will be forced to resort to distress sell of paddy.