Odisha: Farmers in the Karlamunda block of Kalahandi district are frustrated and angry due to delays in paddy procurement at the purchase center, as hundreds of quintals of harvested paddy lie unattended due to the alleged negligence of mill owners. This disruption and repeated delays have not only left farmers disheartened but have also raised questions about the accountability of mill owners and procurement agencies.
According to reports, paddy procurement has come to a standstill at the purchase center run by a Self-Help Group (SHG) in the Karlamunda block. The accumulation of a huge stock of paddy has further aggravated the farmers’ plight, as mill owners are allegedly not sending sufficient transportation.
Farmers alleged that mill owners are not sending trucks regularly, causing serious disruptions in paddy lifting. They claimed that despite agreeing to the stipulated terms, including a deduction of 5 kg per quintal and extra paddy per sack, the procurement has stalled due to the arbitrary attitude of the mill owners.
With the paddy lying in the open, they are now questioning how long they will have to guard their harvest and leave it exposed to the cold and dew, fearing damage and spoilage.
The procurement agency, the SHG, had issued a notice stating that paddy would be lifted according to the tokens issued between the 1st and 12th of the month. However, the paddy of farmers who received tokens within the same timeframe is still lying at the center. Sources revealed that only one or two trucks are arriving daily for lifting.
Calls for administrative action are growing louder.
When questioned about the paddy accumulation and delays in lifting, officials of the procurement agency stated that notices had been issued for lifting paddy according to the tokens issued until the 12th of the month. However, they claimed that several farmers with tokens issued after the 12th, as well as many who had not yet received any tokens, brought their paddy to the center in violation of the instructions, leading to congestion. However, farmers have demanded that the paddy be lifted immediately according to the tokens issued up to the 12th of the month to prevent the tokens from lapsing. They urged the authorities to ensure that procurement tokens do not lapse due to administrative delays and demanded that mill owners be instructed to send more trucks daily to expedite the lifting of paddy and reduce congestion at the market.
