5 months ago
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Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), a farmers’ organisation, connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) called for an Odisha bandh connected Wednesday (January 28, 2026) to protestation alleged mismanagement successful paddy procurement, with the Congress extending enactment to the dawn-to-dusk shutdown.
“We person been continuously carrying retired movements, demonstrations, sit-ins, satyagrahas, and jail bharo programmes, demanding remunerative prices for cultivation produce, dignity for farmers, and a husbandman information allowance (pension). The sustained conflict resulted successful galore pro-poor schemes, including the Odisha Government’s assistance of ₹800 per quintal of paddy,” said NKS convenor Akshay Kumar.
However, Mr. Kumar alleged that the existent paddy procurement mandis (agricultural markets) had go highly “chaotic” with astir mandis virtually non-functional. Farmers, helium said, were forced to beryllium done the nighttime with tens of quintals of paddy lying successful the mandis.
“Against a capableness of 40 quintals per truck, lone 10 oregon 20 quintals are being lifted. Under the pretext of FAQ (Fair Average Quality) norms, arbitrary deductions ranging from 4 kg to 10 kg per quintal are being made. It is amerciable and against involvement of the farming community,” helium pointed out.
Mr. Kumar besides objected to the Food Supplies Minister’s caller connection that lone farmers supplying up to 150 quintals of paddy would beryllium eligible for the ₹800 input assistance, calling the determination unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee extended enactment to the 12-hour bandh, saying it was aimed astatine highlighting “farm distress”. A Congress spokesperson said enactment president Bhakta Charan Das had been starring protests crossed the State against policies of the Mohan Charan Majhi Government affecting farmers.
Responding to the bandh call, Biju Janata Dal said the enactment would not actively participate. “We whitethorn not enactment oregon widen ceremonial enactment to the bandh. However, we basal with the cause. The enactment has announced weeks-long protests connected husbandman issues from February 2 to 16,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.
