farmers blocked collector home with paddy

Aggrieved with the mismanagement in the market yard, farmers blocked the entry of the Sambalpur Collector’s residence by piling paddy loaded trucks on Tuesday evening. Demanding immediate sale of their produce from the market yards as assured by the Sub-collector, they continue to stage agitation creating a unpleasant situation. Senior officers rushed to the spot and persuaded the farmers to refrain from such agitation. But till late evening situation remains unchanged as the farmers unwilling to return the paddy with out getting 'written assurance' from the collector.

“We have already lost our patience due to the non-cooperative attitude of the officials engaged in the Market yards. They do not have any sympathy for farmers and work as the agent of Rice Millers. They are creating unnecessary delay while processing sale transaction in the market yards and we are forced to wait 4 to 5 days to get the price of the paddy. we face lot of difficulties in this process’, an agitator Sujit Nath of Themra village told.

Sources said, while severe crop loss

has been registered in the Sambalpur district this year due to shortage of rain and attack of army insects, in few irrigated area under the Maneswar block of the district yielding of paddy has become quite well. But now due to non-cooperative attitude of the supply officials farmers are facing difficulties in selling their produce . Farmers allege that they are asked to wait for 4to 5 days in the yards to receive their money. When district administration has assured farmers to provide paddy price through cheque immediately after the transaction is over, but supply officials make unnecessary delay while supplying cheque. “I have waited in Themra market yards for 4 days to receive my money. On the first day they measured my paddy and provided a slip of 10,200 quintals. But after 4 days they once again measured it and surprisingly the weight of the paddy becomes 10,198 quintals”, another agitator Jagat Mohan Pradhan told. when he asked the supply officials refused to give price of the rest 2 quintals of paddy.

On the other hand the district administration has described it as ‘unfortunate situation’ that has started from the district. District administration claims to have taken every care for the smooth selling of paddy through various market yards. “Since huge quantity of paddy is coming to market yards every day it becomes difficult for the supply official to dispose it on the same day”, collector (Sambalpur ) P K Patnaik told.

However he assured to take immediate step to stop unnecessary delay of paddy transaction in the market yards. “Since the market yards are not fully equipped with essential machineries, it becomes delay. We are trying to make the market yards equipped with modern machinery so we hope there will be no problem in future”, collector Patnaik added.

On the other hand farmers allege delay is occurred because of the non-operative attitude of the rice millers who do not want to purchase paddy from the market yards as district administration does not have control over them. “Rice millers are not interested to purchase from the market yards. They want to take paddy in a lower price which becomes difficult for them to get from market yards”, eminent farmer leader Ashok Pradhan said.

Meanwhile district administration is trying to avert the unpleasent situation by persuading farmers to refrain from the agitation but till 7.30 pm situation remains unchanged as the farmers become rigid on their stand.

Later with the assurance of the collector, farmers took away the paddy trucks in the night. They also decised to come back once again if mismanagement continues in the market yerds in future.