Bhubaneswar, Dec. 24 -- The BJP government and opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are locked in a bitter dispute over the paddy procurement process in Odisha during the current Kharif season. The state government stated on Wednesday that paddy procurement is actively underway in several districts, including Bargarh, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, Sundargarh, Boudh, Ganjam, Koraput, Jharsuguda, Nabarangpur, and Subarnapur.
So far, 4,97,494 metric tons of paddy have been procured from 1,11,128 farmers. About Rs 807 crore has been credited to farmers' accounts as Minimum Support Price (MSP), along with Rs 249 crore provided as input assistance.
Procurement in other districts will follow in phases, with extensive preparations underway...