Bhubaneswar: annoyed over abnormalities in paddy procurement and faulty token system of the State government, farmers across Odisha staged protests by blocking roads in different parts of the State on Wednesday. The enraged farmers of Harichandanpur under Keonjhar district staged a dharna and blocked the by-pass road by pilling up sacks of unsold paddy. Vehicular movement along the Naranpur-Duburi road was paralyzed for a long time due to the protest.

“We have become victims of sheer apathy of the State government and an incompetent district administration,” alleged a protestor. “We will continue with our protests till the procurement process is streamlined and our produce are procured,” he said.

 Similarly, hundreds of farmers of Patrapur in Balasore district stacked their paddy produce on road, demanding the procurement of the crop. “Many farmers are yet to sell their produce due to delay and glitches in token generation. If our problems are not solved, we will intensify our protest,” he said.

Another farmers’ organisation under the banner of All India Kishan Khet Majdoor Sangathan of Kishore Nagar in Angul district also hit the streets demanding the withdrawal of the faulty token system for procurement of their crops. They staged a protest before Kishore Nagar block office and submitted a memorandum to Angul Collector.

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