Farmers staged a dramatic protest at the Collector’s office in Bhadrak on Friday, alleging widespread irregularities in the paddy procurement process by millers across the district.
In a strong show of dissent, several farmers arrived at the Collector’s office premises on tractors loaded with paddy and dumped sacks of the produce inside the compound. The protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the district administration to what farmers described as systemic exploitation during the ongoing procurement season.
The protesting farmers alleged that millers are either refusing to procure paddy or imposing arbitrary deductions ranging from 8 kg to 13 kg per quintal under various pretexts, commonly referred to as “katni chatni.” They also claimed that millers are failing to provide gunny bags, forcing farmers to bear additional costs and delays.
The agitation was backed by the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan, which alleged that paddy is lying in heaps at mandis across the district while the administration and the concerned department are projecting a misleading picture of smooth procurement.
Ranjit Patnayak, a member of the organisation, said millers at several mandis were exploiting farmers and issuing threats. “Unless we agree to an 8 kg deduction per quintal in the name of katni chatni, millers are refusing to procure our paddy,” he alleged.
Another farmer, Satya Ranjan Jena, said repeated representations to the administration had gone unheard.“Before procurement began, we requested that farmer representatives be allowed to participate in meetings with millers. Farmers are being looted in the name of FAQ norms and threatened that procurement will stop if we raise objections,” he said.
