TOKENS ISSUED TO FARMERS; MANDI NOT YET OPENED (!).
Dushmant Panda,Odishabarta
KALAHANDI:In the District level paddy Procurement Committee Meeting it was decided to start Ravi 2020 Paddy procurement by 10th May 2020. Accordingly the p-pas system has been issued e-generated tokens to the farmers to sell their paddy fro9m 10th May 2020. Maximum farmers have harvested their paddy and prepared for selling but unfortunately no mandi is opened as yet.
Sources says that during Ravi 2020 from Kalahandi 16, 23.500 quintals of paddy is proposed to be collected and the district administration has been decided to open 133 paddy mandi to be operated within different part of Kalahandi where 61 PACS and 23 SHG will purchase the paddy. For the custom millings the civil supply department has tagged 62 qualified millers of the district. For the 2020 Ravi total 33, 767 farmers have registered their names to sell their paddy.
After harvesting of paddy and prepared to sell their paddy the farmers having P-pas token unable to sell the paddy as the PACS have not opened the Mandi as yet. For the show cause administration has started 3 Mandi two in Narla block and one at Nandol of Junagarh block. But no Mandi is opened in Junagarh block though the farmers have issued token and paddy is ready. In Habaspur Mandi after getting the token farmers have dumped their paddy at Habaspur mandi since 10th May 2020 with written memo to the PACS authority to purchase the paddy but nothing has been done and the farmers are facing problems to sell their paddy. Though the PACS has to purchase the paddy from the farmers and then to issue for custom milling but unfortunately the PACS authority is waiting to the custom millers to open the Mandi .
In last year there is an example that two farmers of Antarla village have waited till Aug.2019 at Habaspur Mandi with their FAQ paddy but none to respond them and at last situation compels them to sell their paddy under rate.
Farmer’s afraid off for the unwarranted rainfalls and other natural calamity during mandi operation period.
DRCS,Kalahandi and CSO in charge told that as soon as possible all the Mandi will be started.
