Farmers Block National Highway Over Delay in Paddy Procurement at Tukla Mandi

Demand immediate lifting of paddy and extension of token validity; protest withdrawn after Tahsildar’s assurance Khariar, June 30 Hundreds of farmers staged a massive protest on Tuesday by blocking National Highway-353 near Tukla Paddy Mandi under Khariar block in Nuapada district, alleging large-scale irregularities in paddy procurement and delay in lifting their produce despite the expiry of procurement tokens. The highway blockade brought traffic to a complete standstill, with hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the road for several hours, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. According to the agitating farmers, thousands of quintals of paddy have been lying in the mandi for several days as millers have failed to lift the stock. They alleged that although the validity of procurement tokens issued to many farmers is about to expire, neither the district administration nor the Food Supplies Department has taken any effective steps to resolve the issue. Demanding immediate procurement of the remaining paddy, extension of the token validity period, and a transparent and efficient procurement process, the farmers warned that they would continue their agitation until they received a written assurance from the authorities. On receiving information about the protest, local police and administrative officials rushed to the spot and held discussions with the agitating farmers. Later, the Khariar Tahsildar visited the Tukla Mandi and assured the farmers that the lifting of paddy would be expedited and the token-related issues would be resolved at the earliest. Following the Tahsildar’s assurance, the farmers withdrew the highway blockade, and vehicular movement on National Highway-353 resumed. However, the protesters cautioned that if the administration fails to fulfil its promises promptly, they will intensify their agitation in the coming days.