BHUBANESWAR: After stalling assembly proceedings for the three days over the farmer’s issues, the opposition indulged in a heated exchange of words with the treasury benches as the house took up a debate on paddy procurement. While the BJP and Congress MLAs slammed the state government over the token system and alleged corruption in paddy procurement, the BJD flayed the Centre for not releasing the subsidy to the state.
Initiating the debate, senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra alleged that the farmers are facing hardships due to the centralised token system introduced by the state government. “Either the state government should abolish the token system or the system should be decentralised. Also, the district-level procurement committees should be strengthened to streamline the paddy procurement process,” said Mishra.
Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra said though paddy procurement is the primary duty of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the state government has got itself involved in it with an ill-intention.
“The corruption is happening through agencies like state civil supplies corporation, PACS, revenue department, self-help groups, millers and unscrupulous businessmen,” said Mishra demanding action against erring officials and unscrupulous millers.
The Congress leader also demanded that the state government should assure that they will purchase paddy from all registered farmers.