Procurement of paddy from farmers is an elaborate exercise and one that often generates controversies. In the past there have been allegations of state farmers suffering and not getting their due, with ‘mandis’ (government-sponsored market yards) in the border areas being flooded with paddy from neighbouring states. Traders from neighbouring states such as Chhattisgarh also purchase paddy in bulk from farmers whose stocks remain unsold because of a variety of reasons. Sometimes farmers resort to distress sale.
So, with the rabi paddy procurement exercise due to begin from May 1 in 17 districts, the state government has asked district collectors to ensure that paddy from neighbouring states does not make its way to the identified mandis. Instructions have been issued to collectors of these districts to form special squads at district and sub-divisional levels to keep an eye on the inter-state movement of paddy.
The department of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare and Cooperation has also written to the Director General of Police and collectors to take necessary steps to check illegal transportation of paddy during the procurement which will continue till June 30.
They have been told that vehicles found transporting paddy without due permission from the government during the procurement season should be seized and criminal action should be initiated against the transporters, traders and rice millers involved in illegal transaction of paddy.
Sources said that vigil on the borders has been stepped up after getting specific inputs that some unscrupulous traders of Chhattisgarh and other bordering areas are in touch with farmers of the rabi procurement districts of Odisha for pushing their paddy into mandis. If this happens, genuine registered farmers of the state will be deprived of selling paddy under the price support system.
The state government has made a similar request to the administration of Chhattisgarh districts bordering Odisha so that they also keep a watch on any illegal movement of paddy from their side. Meanwhile, the department has issued operation guidelines for paddy procurement to the 17 districts of Balasore, Bargarh, Balangir, Boudh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Khurda, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Sonepur.
With a large number of complaints against rice millers, the district collectors have been asked to ensure that paddy procured on a particular day is lifted the same day by the millers tagged to specific market yards. The government has made it clear that it will not tolerate any laxity in this regard and action will be taken against those found not following the instructions.
In certain parts of western Odisha, which is the main paddy growing belt of the state, millers have been found colluding with unscrupulous traders in defiance of the government’s directive. This sometimes leads to paddy finding its way into the black market and farmers being deprived of their due. It is about time such practices were put down with a firm hand.
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