Bhubaneswar: The State government will not purchase paddy from the farmers as the stipulated time fixed by the Centre has already lapsed, informed Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Ranendra Pratap Swain.
In his reaction on the State BJP’s two-day agitation over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement, the Minister said that paddy will not be procured from farmers after the Centre’s procurement deadline. He said that paddy has been procured from 91% of farmers this Rabi season against 83 per cent last year.
Minister Swain stated that the State BJP’s current protest over alleged mismanagement in paddy procurement is the saffron party’s last resort political compulsion. He also called upon the saffron party leaders for a discussion on the issue.
Notably, the State BJP had carried out protests on July 1 and 2 across the State alleging massive irregularities in lifting paddy and the government’s apathy towards farmers. They demanded extension and re-validation of expired tokens issued to the farmers and lifting of unsold paddy from the Mandis.
