Summary:
KORAPUT: The Congress staged a ‘rasta roko’ at Jeypore in Koraput district from 10 am to 3 pm on Thursday, protesting against the alleged mismanagement at mandis (paddy procurement centres) opened by the administration since November 9 to procure paddy from the farmers.Led by Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Congress workers blocked the NH-26 near the bus stand. We are hopeful of achieving our target of procuring paddy for KMS,” said Loknath Dalbehera, sub-collector, Jeypore.Meanwhile, police said adequate forces were deployed at Jeypore for the Congress agitation and no untoward incident was reported during the rasta roko. “The regulated market committee (RMC) takes two per cent of the MSP per quintal of paddy as commission but has failed to provide proper infrastructure” Bahinipati alleged. “It is not correct to say the mandis lack infrastructure. Traffic came to a grinding halt on the route for nearly five hours.“We demand the removal of middlemen at mandis as they are exploiting farmers..