Odisha extends paddy deadline

Bhubaneswar: Coming under immense pressure, the Odisha government on Monday extended the paddy procurement process at mandis across the state till February 28.

In a letter, Odisha food supplies and consumer welfare department directed collectors of 19 districts, including Bhadrak, Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapati, Balasore, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and Khordha to open the mandis as long as farmers want to sell their produces.

The department also instructed the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies to provide tokens to the farmers for the paddy procurement. The collectors have been directed to visit the mandis and take action in case of any irregularities are found during paddy procurement.

The department has also warned that action would be taken against millers if they purchase paddy directly from farmers instead of the mandis.

Earlier, the government had declared that the mandis would be closed at certain places by February 20.

Congress and BJP leaders alleged that the state government was in a hurry to close the mandis earlier so as to help the millers to recycle the paddy to raise funds for elections.