Farmer to Odisha govt: ‘Allow me to cultivate ganja if you cannot buy my paddy’ 

By Sukant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 22: ‘Allow me to cultivate ganja (cannabis) and sell it in the market if the state government-run procurement centre is unable to lift my harvested paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as announced by the Union government,” so appealed a farmer in Odisha’s Bolangir district.

The farmer, identified as Nilambar Biswal, made this appeal through a letter submitted to the District Collector Chanchal Rana through the local tehsildar.

“Despite tall claims by the Odisha government that paddy procurement was going on smoothly, Nialmbar is seen moving from pillar to post to get his grievances heard. Unable to sell his paddy, the farmer from Bhaludungiri village in Bolangir has now requested the administration to allow him for Ganja cultivation,” said Mahendra Darjee, a local lawyer.

As per reports, Biswal had cultivated paddy in 15 acres of his farmland. Despite bringing his produce to the mandi, the paddy has not been lifted for the last 18 days.

“I have been issued a token for 78 quintal of paddy and it is almost 18 days that paddy is yet to be lifted. I have written to the administration to allow me cultivate ganja if there is a problem in the lifting of paddy,” said Biswal.

Biswal further said that the administration was carrying out procurement as dictated by the millers who take the paddy and process it into rice. Most of the time, the millers don’t lift the rice from mandis and recycle the public distribution rice, faking it as the rice processed from the rice procured from the farmers. It is for this nexus that the farmers are suffering and forced to go for distress sale.

“If my paddy is not lifted, I will be forced to end my life,” Biswal added.

Bolangir Collector, Chanchal Rana said, “I have not received any letter and it will not be appropriate to comment on the issue. However, we will take appropriate steps if we get any complaint.”