Bhubaneswar: The state government in collusion with rice millers have been exploiting the farmers by depriving them of the MSP for their produce, said Odisha BJP Krushak Morcha president Pradip Purohit.
Speaking to the media, here on Friday, Purohit alleged that the government has demanded donation of Rs 500 crore from the millers during the current Rabi season for the coming panchayat elections.
Stating that the government was deliberately not opening the mandi for Rabi paddy, he said while 5900 mandis were opened in the state last year, total 1800 mandis have opened so far this year. No mandi has been opened at all in 11 districts, he added.
As a result, the farmers are forced to sell their produce to the middlemen at much lower price and the paddy is straight going to the rice mills, Purohit said.
After procuring the paddy at the rate of Rs 900-1,000 per quintal, the millers were duping the farmers by procuring their tokens issued by the government for Rs 100-200 and selling the paddy at the MSP of Rs 1940 per quintal, the BJP leader said.
Stating that the government and the millers are eyeing Central fund of Rs 20,000 crore for the farmers, he alleged that the former have hatched a conspiracy to loot the amount.
