Govt Blinks, Paddy Procurement In 19 Districts To Continue

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday said paddy procurement will continue in 19 districts as long as farmers are willing to sell their paddy. Earlier, farmers had protested vehemently after the government announced its decision to stop the process from February 28.

The secretary, food supply and consumer welfare, has in a letter to collectors of various districts asked them to visit paddy procurement centres (mandis) and take stern action against procurement officials if they are found to have delayed the process deliberately.

The districts that received the letter include Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khurda, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Puri, Rayagada and Sundargarh.

The secretary told the collectors to keep the mandis open as long as farmers are willing to sell their paddy and directed Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) officials to provide tokens to farmers on procuring their paddy.

The collectors have also been asked to take appropriate action against millers if they procure paddy from the farmers instead of the mandis.