The State Government has totally failed in Kharif paddy collection. In many districts due to delay of 15 days to one month in the opening of mandis, farmers are forced to sell 30% of the paddy below the MSP, alleged the Congress on Thursday.
In Ganjam district represented by the Chief Minister, huge quantity of paddy in Khallikote, Kabisuryanagar and Beguniapada are lying unsold. Thousands of tokens are going to lapse. There is no coordination between the district administration and farmers. There is no transparency in the State Government’s procurement policy, alleged Pradesh Kisan Congress State chairman Amiya Patnaik in a Press meet.
Patnaik targeted both the Central and State Governments and said adequate numbers of mandis are not being opened. The authorities have turned a blind eye to the illegal activities of millers and ‘Katni Chhatni’.
Meanwhile, Navnirman Krushak Sangathan State coordinator Seshadev Nanda wrote a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanding his intervention to solve the problems of chaos in the madis, the interference of middlemen and goons.
Nanda alleged that millers are deducting 10 to 12 kg of rice on the pretext of inferior quality. While the millers are earning crores of profit by it, farmers are suffering.