Farmers Clash in Odisha: A Fight for Paddy Procurement

In Odisha's Bargarh district, hundreds of farmers clashed with police, demanding inclusion in the paddy procurement process. The district's MLAs and officials blame postponement of key meetings and regulatory hurdles for the unrest. Local leaders urge government intervention to resolve the ongoing crisis.

Tensions escalated in Odisha's Bargarh district as hundreds of farmers clashed with police while attempting to demand their inclusion in the upcoming paddy procurement process.

The conflict arose after a scheduled district-level paddy procurement committee (DLPC) meeting was postponed, intensifying farmers' frustrations.

Local MLA Ashwini Kumar Sarangi criticized the exclusion of over 4,500 farmers from registering, calling it a 'genuine demand'. District Collector Aditya Goyal cited a neighboring district's model code of conduct enforcement as the reason for the postponement, promising to address farmers' concerns with the state government soon.

(With inputs from agencies.)