Farmers in Bargarh, India are facing procurement issues, leading them to dump their paddy and hold a sit-in protest at the Collectorate.

In a unique expression of frustration, a group of farmers in Bargarh took a stand against what they believe to be unfair practices in the procurement of paddy. On Monday, they gathered at the District Collector's office and symbolically dumped sacks of paddy on the premises. In a peaceful manner, they also sat on a sit-in protest and enjoyed pakhala, a traditional rice-based dish, as a way to draw attention to their plight.

However, their efforts were met with resistance as the police intervened and removed the paddy sacks, detaining some farmers in the process. This protest comes at a crucial time as registration for rabi paddy procurement is set to begin the next day. Many farmers in the district claim that despite submitting all necessary documents to the authorities, they have not been registered for selling their kharif paddy from the previous season.

As a result, a significant amount of paddy remains unsold, sitting in markets and threshing yards exposed to the elements. This has caused a sense of frustration and resentment among the affected farmers. Bringing their concerns to light, farmers from the Saharatikra mandi in Bheden block, under the Attabira Regulated Market Committee, rode their motorcycles to the Collectorate office and unloaded their paddy there.

After staging their protest, they were visited by a police team led by SDPO Padarabinda Tripathy, who, with the help of laborers, removed the paddy from the premises. A few farmers were also detained and taken to the Reserve Police office at Chakarkend. Despite this, the remaining farmers continued their peaceful demonstration until late evening.

According to sources, the affected farmers had applied for registration during the kharif procurement process last August and had submitted all necessary documents. However, due to delays in the registration process, many of them have yet to be registered, leaving them unable to sell their produce. Around 25,000 packets of paddy from several villages in Bheden block are reportedly still unsold at the Saharatikra mandi.

This is not the first time that farmers have expressed their grievances in this manner. They had previously brought a smaller quantity of paddy to the Collectorate on March 5, but it mysteriously disappeared overnight, prompting them to file a complaint with the police. Undeterred, they resumed their protest on Monday by bringing more paddy to the Collectorate.

Officials from various departments, including the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies, District Supply Officer, and Assistant Supply Officer, visited the protest site and held discussions with the farmers. They requested two days to resolve the issue, but the farmers have made it clear that they will continue their demonstration until their paddy is procured. Representatives from the United Farmers' Organisation were also present at the protest, showing solidarity with the affected farmers.