In a heartbreaking incident highlighting the ongoing chaos in paddy procurement across Odisha, a farmer has lost his life allegedly due to the immense stress and harassment involved in selling his harvest.
Trilochan Nayak, a resident of Junagadi village under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara district, succumbed to the ordeal after facing repeated delays, arbitrary deductions, and exploitation in the paddy selling process.
According to family members, Trilochan received a token on January 16 to sell his paddy at the Dangamal Primary Cooperative Society. Despite making multiple trips to the society over the past 40 days, his produce was not accepted. Three days ago, the society’s secretary instructed him to deliver the paddy directly to the Ramchandi Mill. Trilochan hired a vehicle to transport the load, but upon arrival, the mill initially refused to accept it.
The farmer was forced to wait outside the mill for three days, guarding his paddy without proper food or shelter, enduring mosquito bites and harsh conditions. The vehicle hire cost him Rs 5,000 per day, amounting to Rs 15,000 over the period. Finally, on Wednesday, the paddy was accepted, but with a deduction of 9 kg per quintal. Additionally, an unloading charge of Rs 3,000 was imposed.
Devastated by the financial losses and the humiliating experience, Trilochan returned home in a broken state. The relentless worry over the paddy sale led to his sudden death, with family members reporting that he complained of chest pain shortly after arriving. They attribute his demise directly to the mental and physical toll of the procurement system’s inefficiencies, including the society’s negligence and the mill’s delays. “The harassment from the cooperative and the mill was too much for him to bear. He felt insulted as a farmer by the administration’s injustice,” said a family member.
This incident comes amid widespread complaints of mismanagement in mandis (procurement centers) across the state, including arbitrary cuts, delays, and forced distress sales. Trilochan’s death underscores how these issues are pushing farmers to the brink.
On the other hand, Gobind Jena, secretary of the Dangamal Society, denied any wrongdoing. Speaking to the media, he claimed no complaints were lodged by Trilochan or his family regarding the paddy sale. He also outright rejected the allegation that he directed the farmer to the mill, insisting that the paddy was accepted at the society itself. Meanwhile, local administration and government officials have remained silent on the matter, offering no comments or investigations so far.
