More than 3 lakh packets of paddy are lying unsold in the market yards in Bargarh district due to Pay Procurement Autonomous System (PPAS).
The farmers here have been repeatedly complaining about irregularities in paddy procurement but the district administration has just lent a deaf ear, alleged farmer leader laxmana Pradhan.
The farmers also alleged that some Regulated Market Committee (RMC) officials, agents, millers and Dalals are hand in glove in paddy procurement irregularities during the Rabi season.
According to the sources, under the corrupt practices, paddy did not come to the yards; rather the millers directly got it. The corrupt staff members made false entries and managed to earn lakhs of rupees by the way. Paddy procurement started since May 1 under Attabira and Bargarh RMC. More than 20,60, 580 packets came to the mandis under Attabira RMC till date out of which 18, 43, 971 packets could be disposed of. Rest 2,16,609 packets of paddy were lying unsold.
In Bargarh RMC, 34 yards were opened out of which seven yards in Bhukta, Katapali(Barpali), Sarandapali, Urduna and others were not procuring at all. In 27 mandis under Bargarh RMC, 6, 3, 951 packets of paddy reached out of which 5,87,678 packets were disposed of while rest 16,273 packets were lying unsold in the yards.
Dhamaraj Gejo, a farmer of Jamtikra under Attabira Block, alleged that he could not sell his paddy since May 5 in the yard. He said after 5pm the CCTV was stopped and false entries were made. The farmers threatened that they would take to the streets if the administration didn’t resolve the problem.
CSO Bargarh Bijaya Ratha, however, said that the mistakes of PPAS of the farmers will be rectified very soon.