Although crores of rupees have been given to the Regulated Market Committees (RMCs) for infrastructure development of market yards in Bargarh district yet most of them lie neglected without regular repair and maintenance works. As a result, it is the farmers who have to bear the brunt.Whether it is Rabi or Kharif season, the farmers are facing a lot of difficulties of keeping the paddy safely during the procurement time, every year.
In the last 10 years, Bargarh RMC has got Rs 74 crore, Atabira, RMC Rs 90 crore and Padampur RMC, Rs 36 crore for maintenance and infrastructure development of the Mandis. But there is no improvement on ground.
Thousands of sacks of paddy have been kept under the open sky without any safe place for storage till evacuation of the bags. In addition, farmers are not satisfied with the paddy sales system, which has been plagued by various anomalies.
The one percent commission on administrative expenses is an example, besides the Katni-Chhatni. Employees and officials from top to bottom are benefiting from every quintal of paddy procured. If the distance from the house to the Mandi is 8 km or more, the farmer should get Rs 10 per quintal but this is hardly paid.According to the information, the Regulated Markets Committee (RMC) is supposed to provide 24 types of benefits to the farmers. But these benefits are shown to be provided in pen and paper only.
The Mandis in Bargarh district have the capacity to store only 5,000 to 6,000 quintals of paddy while the bulk of paddy that arrives is far more. There is no electricity in any Mandi or paddy purchasing center.
The situation is such that there is no provision to prevent the theft of paddy of farmers. However, no one was arrested in any of the theft cases. There are commissions at all levels in the process of buying and selling paddy. The RMC receives 2% per cent commission per quintal for the procurement process. Similarly, the company that is involved in the procurement of paddy gets a 1.19% commission. The workers are paid Rs 8.48 and Rs 14 respectively for loading and unloading of the paddy.