Nuapada: The process of Rabi paddy purchase has been launched in Nuapada district from today on behalf of the Controlled Market Committee Khariar Road. In the opening ceremony held at Khadial sub market yard, Khadial MLA Adhiraj Mohan Manigarahi, Nuapada District Mayor Madhusudan Das, Khadial Block Chairperson Pushpanjali Nand, District Council Member Chittaranjan Behera, Kalahandi MP representative Wisyan Ranjan Megh, local Sarpanch Subasini Pan and PAX President Gopinath Raut Roy Major attended and discussed the various arrangements for rabi paddy procurement. It was reported that 19,347 farmers have registered to sell rabi paddy this year in the district, which is 6,050 more than last year and an increase of about 45 percent. This year, paddy will be purchased in 51 mandis through 26 packs of the district. While other mandis are going to be functional from next 25th, the District Collector said that CC cameras, drinking water facilities and necessary related arrangements will be made in each mandi. Khadial MLA informed that while the target is to purchase seven and a half lakh quintals of paddy in the district this year, the token for four and a half lakh quintals of paddy has already arrived. He said that farmers’ convenience and clean paddy procurement process are being given top priority. The District Magistrate informed that CC cameras will be installed in six places of the district to prevent illegal grain entry from the neighboring state of Chhattisgarh. Also, if the token of any genuine farmer lapses due to any reason, arrangements will be made to sell their paddy after verification, the MLA said. He mentioned that this year the state government has given this power to the district governors. Khadiyal Video Milan Kanu Jhankar, Khadiyal Tehsildar Narsingh Gadaba, Khadiyal MLA Representative Akshay Kumar Nand, ACSO Hrishikesh Naik, Khadiyal Supply Inspector Soumaranjan Mahanand, Millers Raju Khemka and other millers and hundreds of farmers were present in the program.
Biswanath Samal’s report from Nuapada, Fast News Odisha