Nanda, Bahinipati on dharna over farmer issues

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jeypore, Nov 4:

In an apparent case of political one-upmanship over the issue of non-payment of outstanding dues to farmers for paddy procured four months back, both former BJD MLA from Jeypore Rabinarayan Nanda and incumbent Congress MLA from the same constituency and Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati are separately staging dharnas in front of the office of the sub-collector’s office here demanding immediate payment of arrears to farmers.

Both have announced to continue with their dharnas till the issue is resolved.

As per reports, more than 900 farmers of Jeypore sub-division had sold 72,000 quintals of paddy combined at Umri LAMPS and Kundra LAMPS on June 30 at the end of the Rabi season.

However, even after lapse of four months they have not received their dues.

Despite them meeting the paddy procurement agency, sub-collector Jeypore, collector, secretary Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare and departmental Minister have yielded no results.

The farmers sat on dharna on Tuesday protesting against the inordinate delay in payments for their produce.

The Zilla Krushak Samaj, a farmers’ body has threatened to oppose the opening of mandis (procurement centres) from November 15 if outstanding payments are cleared within that time.