Berhampur, Despite all claimed initiatives for transparent and smooth procurement of paddy by the Ganjam district administration,lack of co-ordination and callous attitude by the staffs of various departments,the procurement is going on in a snails pace.This year a total of 478 agencies including 366 PACs,111 SHG and one Pani panchayat has been entrusted with the procurement of paddy.While 1,46,504 farmers registered their names to sell their paddy,the district administration has set a target to procure 44,81,761 quintals,The administration opened mandi`s in the district in phase wise since 3/1/2025 and till date around 11.31 lakh quintals of paddy has been purchased from 24,497 farmers,stated Ganjam district civil supply officer,Puspa munda.He said of the farmers who sold their paddy,the cost of of the paddy has been deposited in the bank account of 18,060.However,he avoided on the payment of rest farmers.Meanwhilw,owing to allegations of slow pace of procurement,the district administration issued show cause notices to 11 millers,including four each in Ganjam and Chhatrapur blocks and three in Purushottampur block,on yesterday for allegedly slow lifting of paddy from different mandis.The district administration also fixed 6 hours to comply,but till today evening,no explanation submitted.The CSO said a total of 361 millers registered to lift the paddy from the mandis this year.The officials attributed the reason of slow pace of procurement was due to the testing of the quality of the paddy at the mandis.They said,the farmers demanded the purchase of their paddy regardless of the quality,as it took a longtime to convince them,procurement hampers.The CSO said around one fourth of our targeted paddy already procured and the target likely to be fulfilled much before closing of mandis,which will open for another more than a month.The district civil supply dept,which exclusively handles the procurement claimed that to stop the transport of paddy of the district to Andhra,two check posts set up on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border at Girishola and Nuagaon to check the entry of paddy from Andhra.Even,two camera-mounted vehicles are claimed to are patrolling the border areas.Contrary to the claim,several vehicles of Andhra openly lifting paddy.While paddy sacks on tractors from various blocks across the district brought to Digapahandi,Patrapur,Chikiti blocks,and reloaded on heavy trucks of Andhra,which drove out of Odisha freely in broadday light.On the otherhand the farmers Sunya das of Kankarada in Sheragada block,Uma sabat of Tanhar village,Nabaghana samal of Kanchuru in Hinjili block etc,in the district said,the state govt took several measures for the benefit of farmers,but for money the excuting officials put a blind eye over the irregularties.They said,initially,there was distress sale of paddy,as the farmers who borrowed money for their cultivation,scheduled to clear their debts during makar festivity.Now,several farmers have paddy stock,as the token issued to them is much less to their yeild.The said quantity would have sold to the Andhra traders,but was kept as the Odisha govt hiked the price,now we have no option other than to sell them to outside traders fumed the farmers.Bibhudenra pady,president of forward block ganjam district said,the nexus between the millers and supply officials is not new and continued,what has deprieved the farmers from their benefit and the balmes goes to govt.
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