Farmers Demand Withdrawal of Token System for Paddy Procurement

Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur, Nov 19 (PTI) Farmers in western Odisha on Tuesday demanding withdrawal of centralised token system for paddy procurement in state-run mandis parked their paddy laden vehicles in front of houses of MLAs in Sambalpur district.

The farmers in western Odisha districts have been agitating since Monday demanding that the state government withdraw the centralised token system for paddy procurement in state-run mandis (market yard).

The farmers took the paddy laden vehicles and kept them in front of houses of Rengali MLA, Nauri Naik, Rairakhol MLA and deputy Chief Whip of the Odisha Government, Rohit Pujari and Sambalpur BJP MLA, Jayanarayan Mishra.

On Monday, the farmers had blocked all the four main gates of Sambalpur district collectorate by keeping paddy laden vehicles in front of the gates demanding the withdrawal of the centralized token system.

Adviser of the Sambalpur Zilla Krushak Surakhya Sangathan (SZKSS), Ashok Pradhan said, "we kept few paddy laden vehicles in front of the houses of MLAs. These were just symbolic protest. If the government does not withdraw the centralized token system, we will intensify our agitation".

This is the first time that token for selling of paddy at the market yard is being generated from the state capital. Under the centralized token system, the token will be sent to the registered mobile number of the farmer.

The date of selling of the paddy and quantity of paddy, the farmer could sell, will be mentioned in the token. "The centralized token system will only pave way for distress sale of paddy," said Pradhan.

The farmers of Bargarh district have also opposed the centralized token system. They on Tuesday locked the main gate of the office of the Bargarh district collector besides the main gate of the office of the Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies and office of Civil Supply Officer protesting the centralized token system.

The farmers issue was discussed in the Assembly through an adjournment notice served by the BJP where the members of both the saffron party and the Congress came down heavily on the state government and demanded immediate withdrawal of the centralized token system so that the farmers could sale away their paddy at the government market yard.

Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra and senior BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra strongly criticized the state governments policy and demanded the withdrawal of centralized token system and allow farmers to sell their paddy by procuring permission from the district and block level.

However, as Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister R P Swain insisted that the centralized token system will help the farmers, both the opposition parties walked out of the assembly in protest.

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