Farmers in Ganjam district’s Sanakhemundi block on Thursday staged a protest over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement and delays in the opening of procurement centres, causing widespread distress among cultivators.
The protesters alleged that despite the official procurement season being underway, several mandis in the area were yet to become operational. As a result, farmers were forced to wait for days to sell their produce, incurring losses and facing uncertainty.
According to the agitators, deductions of 10 to 15 kilograms per quintal were being imposed during procurement under the pretext of quality checks, a practice they termed unjust and exploitative. They demanded that paddy be purchased strictly at the government-declared Minimum Support Price (MSP) without any arbitrary cuts.
The protest was organised under the banner of the Sanakhemundi Unnayan Kriyanushthan Committee. Demonstrators gathered in front of the Sanakhemundi Tahasil office, raising slogans and submitting a memorandum outlining their demands to the local administration.
Farmers warned that if corrective measures were not taken immediately, they would intensify their agitation in the coming days. They also alleged that millers were harassing cultivators through practices locally referred to as “katni-chatni”, adding to their financial burden.
“We are being forced to suffer losses due to delays and unfair deductions. If the administration does not intervene, the protest will be intensified,” one of the agitating farmers said.
The administration has yet to issue an official response, though officials indicated that the matter is being reviewed.
