Kendrapada: The death of a farmer in Kendrapada district on Wednesday night has sparked a war of words between BJD and BJP over procurement delays. The farmer, Trilochan Nayak, had allegedly been waiting for four days to get his paddy weighed at a nearby rice mill.“Nayak felt uneasy after standing in front of the mill for three days and collapsed after returning home,” alleged Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Sahoo, who on Thursday night led a BJD delegation to meet the family of the deceased farmer at Junagadi village.
“The govt must provide adequate compensation. The BJP govt has failed to protect farmers,” Sahoo alleged on Friday. He also blamed the administration of “misleading people” on the cause of Nayak’s death.He alleged that Nayak was instructed to take his paddy to Ramchandi mill, but was forced to wait for days.BJP district president Sasanka Sekhar Sethi refuted the allegations, saying Nayak had already sold 38 quintals to the society. “His sudden death is unrelated to procurement. The opposition is politicising the issue,” Sethi said.Kendrapada ADM Nabakrishna Jena, meanwhile, said the CSO and Rajnagar tehsildar have been asked to submit a report on the circumstances leading to the farmer’s death.Farm leader Umesh Chandra Singh claimed many cultivators are being forced to sell paddy below the govt-fixed Rs 3,100 per quintal due to procurement delays, long distances to PACS centres, and alleged exploitation by millers and agents.
