What Are the Concerns Raised by BJD Over Farmer Issues in Odisha?

Bhubaneswar, June 30 (NationPress) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) raised significant concerns on Monday about the persistent challenges confronting farmers in Odisha regarding the procurement of Rabi paddy.

During a press event at Sankha Bhawan, the party headquarters, BJD urged the state government to take swift action to protect the interests of farmers.

With the expiration of the issued procurement tokens set for today, June 30, and the paddy procurement still incomplete, BJD leaders called on the government to extend the token validity by one month. They also insisted that the government purchase the remaining unsold (balka) paddy held by farmers and provide a formal notification rather than vague statements.

BJD Vice Presidents Sanjay Das Burma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak addressed the media together. Das Burma revealed that approximately 156,029 metric tonnes of paddy remain unsold across various mandis in the state, coinciding with the deadline for token-based procurement.

Farmers are increasingly anxious due to the lack of clear assurances from the government, he noted.

He emphasized that although the government had assured the procurement of the remaining unsold (balka) paddy beyond token-based purchases, no official notification has been issued to reflect this, leading to confusion and concern among farmers regarding their produce's fate.

Referring to comments made by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra earlier on Monday, Das Burma mentioned that the Minister stated that paddy would be collected post-deadline if the iris scanning of token-holding farmers is completed.

While welcoming this clarification and expressing gratitude to the Minister, Das Burma expressed doubts about its implementation as no formal notification has been released yet.

BJD presented three key demands to the Chief Minister, including the procurement of all unsold (balka) paddy currently held by farmers, an extension of the token validity period by one month, and immediate issuance of a formal notification regarding these provisions.

On this occasion, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak remarked that farmers are experiencing considerable hardships due to various factors such as prolonged waits at mandis, rainfall damaging unsold paddy, and logistical issues in procurement.

He criticized the government for failing to make adequate preparations despite being aware of the early monsoon arrival. With only hours remaining before the token deadline, many farmers' paddy remains uncollected, and a substantial amount has already been damaged. There is also no clarity on whether the unsold (balka) paddy will be procured.

Nayak cautioned that if the state government continues to neglect the legitimate concerns of farmers, the Biju Janata Dal will be forced to take to the streets in protest.