JEYPORE: Paddy bags lying in the open in mandis, run by Regulated Marketing Committees (RMCs), is a common sight in Koraput district every procurement season.This season has been no different but for the unexpected rains. Lack of basic infrastructure like sheds at the mandis has seriously hurt the farmers. The produce lying in the open has sustained damage due to the rains which will ultimately impact their returns.
The district administration opened 108 mandis - 49 under Koraput RMC and 59 under Jeypore RMC covering eight large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) - in the current Kharif Marketing Season-2018. At least 31,000 farmers have registered to sell their paddy and each farmer can sell 14 quintals to 16 quintals in the first phase of procurement through the mandis.
The RMCs have failed to provide necessary infrastructure for farmers. In many places, mandis have been set up in open fields by putting up just a tent. As a result, the grains get discoloured due to moisture. There is no provision for drinking water in 80 per cent of the mandis. There are no proper weighing machines and equipment to clean the grains.
“The RMCs open mandis just to show the Government that they are working for benefit of the farmers. The chances of paddy getting damaged is extremely high if the stocks are kept in the open and damaged grains do not qualify for procurement under the fair average quality norms,” alleged Narendra Pradhan, a farmer of Kundura block.
Sources said every procurement season, RMCs charge two per cent of the minimum support price (MSP) from farmers to provide them amenities in the mandis but the funds are lying unused. At the end of procurement of both rabi and kharif paddy, RMCs of Jeypore and Koraput generate `8 crore to `10 crore from farmers and the funds go the State exchequer. Officials in the local RMCs said they are waiting for the Government to sanction funds for infrastructure development in the mandis.
Koraput Sub-Collector, who is also the RMC president, LM Konhar, admitted to infrastructure shortcomings in all the mandis in Koraput sub-division. “We have supplied some machines for paddy cleaning and asked LAMPS to stock paddy in the panchayat office or LAMPS office to protect the grains,” he added.
His counterpart, who is also heading the Jeypore RMC, Loknath Dalbehera said since there is no Government land where mandis can be opened, they are being operated from open fields. He added that the Jeypore RMC would construct a permanent mandi as soon as it gets land for the purpose.
Earlier, the administration opened 47 mandis in the district but the number rose to 108 this year without taking the ground realities into account. Most of the new mandis do not have basic facilities for farmers. The administration has so far procured 1.31 lakh quintal paddy.