Sundargarh: State Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister and BJD MLA Pratap Jena on Thursday assured the agitating farmers of Sundargarh that the concerned department will soon take steps to resolve the issues regarding the procurement of paddy crops in the district. Minister Pratap Jena was on a 3-day tour to the district ahead of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s scheduled visit to Sundargarh on February 16.

Earlier in the day, dozens of farmers protested the Circuit House here, where the minister halted, on Thursday morning and sat on a demonstration protesting the alleged irregularities in the procurement of paddy crops.

The farmers alleged that despite having tokens for the procurement, their paddy is yet to be procured by the local authorities. The farmers threatened that unless their produce is bought by the concerned authorities, they will not withdraw their agitation.

A farmer said, “We had to suffer loss last year as huge amount of our produce remained unsold. If our crops are not sold this season too, I am worried how I will manage my household and pay the laborers.”

“We do not want any procurement token, we will be happy if our crops are sold in minimum support price (MSP). The government should increase the target so that we can sell our produce,” said a protesting farmer.

It is only after the assurance by the Minister, the agitating farmers called off their protest later in the day.

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