Strong discontentment is brewing among the farmers of north Baleswar as they are not able to sell their paddy to the Government agency, even after two months of harvesting, due to apathy of the Civil Supplies Department and lack of coordination between the societies and millers.
The farmers who have obtained token even are not able to sell their paddy. As a result, there are reports of distress sale. The middlemen active in the area are buying their paddy for Bengal traders at much less rate than fixed by the Government.
While MSP for paddy has been at Rs 1,810, sources said the farmers allegedly were selling their produce at Rs 1,350 per quintal. According to sources in Jaleswar block, paddy cultivation for the Kharif season was undertaken in about 21,000 hectares of land.
The Civil Supplies department in the process of procuring paddy from them had issued token to 5,497 farmers till date while 2,297 farmers could sell their paddy. Yet the leftout 3,200 are waiting with tokens to dispose of their paddy.
The farmers alleged that although they were reaching societies with paddy yet due to lack of effective monitoring by the Civil Supplies Department, they were not able to sell the paddy. Some of them alleged millers were taking their produce by deducting 12 kg per quintal from them.
Meanwhile, the farmers bodies of north Baleswar drawing attention of the district Collector have demanded his intervention to resolve their issue.