Administration Remained Silent Despite Media Reports

Thousands of Paddy Bags Soaked in Heavy Rain at Karlakote Mandi; Farmers Fear Huge Losses Boden, June 28 Despite repeated warnings from farmers and media reports highlighting the poor condition of Karlakote Paddy Procurement Centre (Mandi), the administration allegedly failed to take timely action. As a result, thousands of paddy bags stored at the mandi under Boden block in Nuapada district were soaked in Saturday’s heavy rainfall, leaving farmers worried about severe financial losses. On June 26, several newspapers had reported the disorder at Karlakote Mandi, drawing attention to the delay in lifting procured paddy, shortage of transport vehicles, and the large number of paddy bags lying in the open without adequate protection. However, according to farmers, no effective measures were taken by the concerned authorities despite these warnings. Saturday’s heavy rain turned those concerns into reality. A large quantity of paddy remained stacked inside the mandi premises due to the lack of timely transportation and insufficient storage facilities. Since there was inadequate warehouse space, hundreds of paddy bags had been left exposed under the open sky. The heavy downpour drenched the stocks, raising fears that the quality of the grain may deteriorate significantly. Farmers said they had repeatedly urged the authorities to arrange transport vehicles and expedite the lifting process, but their appeals went unanswered. They now fear that any deterioration in grain quality could lead to deductions during procurement, causing them substantial financial losses. Many distressed farmers were seen expressing deep concern over the fate of the produce they had cultivated through months of hard work. The incident has once again raised serious questions over the efficiency of the paddy procurement system, particularly at a time when farmer-related issues in the district have already drawn public attention. Farmers have demanded immediate transportation of the remaining paddy, a proper assessment of the rain-damaged stock, adequate compensation for losses, and permanent measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. A key question now being raised is whether this damage could have been avoided had the administration acted promptly after the earlier warnings. Farmers are demanding accountability and asking whether the government will compensate them for the losses caused by the alleged administrative inaction.