Odisha faces Opposition ire over distress sale of paddy

Farmers forced to sell paddy at Rs 800 to Rs 900 per quintal against Centre-fixed MSP of over Rs 1,300

Alleging neglect towards the farmers, the opposition parties led by Congress today severely criticised the government on the distress sale of paddy in the state.

Initiating a debate on an adjournment motion on the topic in the assembly, Congress MLA Anup Kumar Sai said, the farmers are forced to sell paddy at Rs 800 to Rs 900 per quintal against the Centre-fixed minimum support price (MSP) of over Rs 1,300. “This has happened because of non-opening of mandis by the government,” he added.

Sai said, paddy is being sold at a much lesser rate this year compared to previous years.

He urged the government to pay bonus to the farmers to make up for their losses.

The Union government has fixed the MSP of paddy for 2013-14 at Rs 1,310 per quintal for common rice and Rs 1,345 for better grade rice.

Complaining that the paddy is still sold through the middlemen, he said, “There are instances of farmers committing suicide in Lakhanpur. The government should giver proper compensation to the farmers for the loss of crop due to the Phailin.”

Expressing similar concern, Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das flayed the state government for not taking actions against the rice millers, who refuse to lift paddy from the farmers.

He demanded that government should fix a timeline for procurement of paddy from the farmers.

Participating in the discussion, Bargarh MLA Sadhu Nepak said, slow lifting of paddy in the market yard is leading to distress sale of paddy.

Refuting the allegations, state minister for Civil Supplies, Pratap Keshari Deb, said, the government has opened mandis in six districts. The districts are Bargarh, Boudh, Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Nuapada and Subarnapur.

Deb informed the House that on the basis of decision taken at the district level procurement committee (DLPC) meeting, paddy procurement has started in Bargarh, Boudh, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Sambalpur districts.

Similarly, more mandis will be opened in Bolangir, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Rayagada and Subarnapur districts in the first week of December.

Paddy procurement will be taken up in Cuttack and Kendrapada districts in the first week of January, 2014, the minister added. He said, Food Corporation of India (FCI) has procured 11.11 lakh tonne rice in the last Kharif marketing season (KMS) as on December 2 and the target is to buy another 75,000 tonne of rice by the end of this month.

FCI has transported 8.7 lakh tonne rice to other states as on December 2, which is a record.