12-Hour Bandh in Odisha's Sambalpur Over Kharif Paddy Procurement Issues

Sambalpur: A 12-hour bandh from 6 am to 6 pm is being observed in Odisha's Sambalpur district today by the Sambalpur Krushak Suraksha Sangathan to protest alleged irregularities in the procurement of Kharif paddy.

Hundreds of farmers joined the agitation and staged picketing at different locations. They alleged serious mismanagement in the paddy procurement process, which has affected their ability to sell their produce smoothly.

During the bandh, shops, markets, schools and colleges remained closed. However, national highways and railway services were kept outside the purview of the protest, and no road blockade or rail roko was reported.

Farmers claimed that a large number of procurement tokens, estimated between 8,000 and 10,000, were missing and not visible on their mobile phones, creating confusion and hardship.

An agitator said the agitation would continue until corrective steps are taken and demanded a change in the existing procurement policy.

The situation in the district remained peaceful, with no reports of untoward incidents during the bandh.