BJD Seeks CM’s Intervention in Paddy Procurement Crisis

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for immediate intervention to address the ongoing crisis in Rabi season paddy procurement, urging an extension of the procurement deadline by one month to July 31.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, the BJD highlighted severe issues plaguing the procurement process, including inadequate arrangements, reduced mandi targets, and logistical delays. These have left many farmers, particularly small and marginal ones, unable to sell their surplus paddy.

The party noted that the current procurement deadline of June 30, 2025, has exacerbated the situation, with many farmers holding lapsed tokens and facing arbitrary rejections of their produce under vague quality pretexts, termed “Katni Chatni.”

The BJD criticized the government for failing to honor its promise of ensuring fair procurement, stating, “Katha Dei Katha Rakhileni Sarkar” (a government that doesn’t keep its word).

The party demanded urgent measures, including extending the procurement deadline to July 31, revalidating lapsed tokens for 30 days, procuring all surplus paddy from registered farmers, cracking down on arbitrary rejections of paddy and revising mandi-wise procurement targets to reflect actual production.

The BJD emphasized the need for swift action to restore farmers’ trust and protect their livelihoods, calling for empathy and commitment from the state government to resolve the crisis affecting lakhs of farmers across Odisha.