In Bhubaneswar, a significant confrontation occurred between hundreds of farmers and police in Bargarh district as the farmers attempted to enter the collector’s office. They were demanding to register their names for participation in the paddy procurement for the kharif season. Tensions escalated after the postponement of the district-level paddy procurement committee (DLPC) meeting that was supposed to take place on Monday. According to reports, as the farmers marched toward the district collector’s office, police intervened, resulting in a scuffle. Bargarh MLA Ashwini Kumar Sarangi stated that more than 4,500 farmers from the district were excluded from the paddy procurement process due to their inability to register for various reasons.
He emphasized that their demands are legitimate and has urged the government to consider including the left-out farmers. District Collector Aditya Goyal explained that the DLPC meeting’s postponement was due to the model code of conduct (MCC) currently in effect in the neighboring Nuapada for a by-election. He added that they have forwarded the farmers’ registration details to the relevant government department for further action.