Demo over aid to farmers  

SAMBALPUR:  The BJP Krushak Morcha on Friday staged demonstration in front of the district Collector’s office demanding renewal of lapsed tokens and early disbursal of compensation to farmers who incurred losses due to the cyclone Yaas-induced rain. 

The members of the Morcha submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stating their demands. The memorandum said though there has been no direct impact of Yaas in Sambalpur, the untimely rain under the cyclone’s influence during the harvesting period has caused huge losses to farmers. 

Besides, farmers of Sambalpur usually depend on labourers from Bargarh and neighbouring Chhattisgarh. But due to the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown, the labourers didn’t turn up this time due to which the harvesting was delayed. Some managed to rope in local labourers but a majority of farmers could not take up harvesting due to the rains. The farmers who received tokens could not sell paddy as they were not able to harvest their crops. The agitators claimed that tokens for the sale of around 30,000 quintal of paddy have lapsed.

District media convener of BJP Sanjaya Sarangi said the cyclone situation amid the Covid crisis was a double blow for the farmers. The government should take steps to renew the lapsed tokens at the earliest and procure the harvested paddy from farmers. “Moreover, since all farmers have been affected due to the Yaas-induced rains, we want the government to make the assessment of loss immediately and make arrangements to provide compensation as per the relief code,” he said. Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Sambalpur Umakanta Raj, chief civil supplies officer Subodh Mallik and deputy registrar of cooperative societies Lingaraj Nayak held discussions with the agitators.

The ADM said, “We will request the government for renewal of the lapsed tokens. The assessment of loss caused due to rains is underway. We will apprise the government about the loss and request for compensation.”