Resentment brewing among farmers in Bhawanipatna

The Statesman, Nov 26, 2008
Statesman News Service

BHAWANIPATNA, Nov. 25: Despite the fact that the mandis have been declared operational by the district administration from 5 November, the procurement of paddy in Kalahandi district have been severely affected.
This has resulted in alleged distress sale and sharp resentment is brewing among the farmers, sources said while adding that about 70 per cent of the total paddy harvesting has already been over in the district.
Official sources said that in current year, it is targeted to procure 2.60 lakh MT rice, which means the procurement of 3.83 lakh MT in the shape of paddy.
It is learnt that the district administration has decided to open 51 mandis of regulated market committees and directed to open mandis at panchayat levels in phases.
As per the official decision, supply corporation, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (Nafed), primary agriculture societies, Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Collateral Management Services Ltd (NCMSL), Orissa State Co-operative Marketing Federation. Ltd. (MARKFED) and NBFC are the official agencies, who are authorised to procure paddy through their miller agents in the mandies.
However, the supply corporation has procured only 7,797 MT paddy, followed by 4,800 MT by Nafed and 800 MT by primary agriculture societies. As of now, FCI, NCMSL, Markfed and NBFC have not procured a single grain.
FCI, which is asked to procure through its eight mandies has not collected a single grain on the plea that the harvested paddy are not up to the set standard. Incidentally, the government is yet to communicate the rate for Paddy Under Relax specification (URS).
It is also learnt that although the civil supply corporation has started procurement, it has not being able to pick up because the necessary funds are yet to be allotted by the state unit.
Farmers now alleged that this type of attitudes by procuring agencies has led to distress sale. Sporadic complaints are reaching the district administration that some rice millers through their agents and middlemen are purchasing paddy at low rates. Now although procurement is virtually not started in the mandis, many of the rice mills in the district are running in full swing as alleged by the farmers, who demand for an enquiry into the matter about the source of the paddy under milling in some of the mills. The president of Bhawanpatna central co-operative bank Mr Kali Prasad Raiguru alleged that due to the failure of the government agencies, distress sale of paddy is continuing and farmers are subjected to exploitation. As against Rs. 675 per 75 Kg. paddy in general, the farmers are compelled to sell at the rate of Rs. 560 per 75 Kg he alleged. In the meanwhile, collector Mr R Santh Gopalan has directed the regulated market committees to gear up the functioning of the mandis and government agencies to start procurement. He cautioned that any further laxity will be viewed seriously and stern action will be initiated against the guilty.