Bhubaneswar, 8/1 : In a significant relief for lakhs of farmers across the state, paddy procurement operations resumed in full swing on Thursday after the All Odisha Rice Millers’ Association (AORMA) called off its indefinite strike. The breakthrough came late Wednesday evening following a high-level meeting between the millers’ representatives and the State Government, ending a three-day impasse that had paralyzed mandis in 19 districts.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra announced the resolution, confirming that the government has acceded to the millers’ immediate demand regarding custody and maintenance charges. “The deadlock has been resolved. We have issued formal orders to release payments for three months of custody maintenance charges. The millers have agreed to resume lifting paddy immediately,” Patra told reporters.
The disruption, which began on Monday, had left thousands of farmers stranded at market yards (mandis) amidst biting winter cold, waiting to sell their produce. The resumption comes just in time for the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti, a critical period for the state’s agrarian economy.
The Agreement and Demands
The AORMA had ceased operations citing the government’s failure to address a four-point charter of demands. These included the payment of pending custody and maintenance charges for the Kharif Marketing Seasons (KMS) 2023-24 and 2024-25, a hike in custom milling charges, revision of transportation rates for distances beyond 40 km, and the restoration of driage allowance for raw rice from 0.078 percent to 1 percent.
According to AORMA Secretary Laxminarayan Deepak Ranjan Das, the association decided to withdraw the agitation primarily considering the plight of the farmers and the upcoming festival. However, the withdrawal comes with a caveat. “We have received a written assurance regarding the custody charges, which was a major sticking point involving approximately Rs 160 crore in dues. For the remaining demands, including the transport and milling rate revisions, the government has sought 15 days to reach a decision. We have agreed to this timeline,” Das stated.
Das warned that if the remaining issues are not resolved within the stipulated fortnight, the association would be forced to convene a fresh meeting to decide the future course of action.
Procurement Status
Despite the brief hiatus, the government maintains that procurement targets remain achievable. Official data indicates that over 19.6 lakh farmers have registered for the current season. Before the strike halted operations, approximately 14 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy had already been procured, with millers lifting around 13.6 LMT.
With the mandis functional again, the administration has directed district collectors to expedite the lifting process to clear the backlog created over the last 72 hours. The focus is now on ensuring that farmers receive their Minimum Support Price (MSP) payments without further delay.
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