Bhubaneswar, Jan 8 (PTI) The All Odisha Rice Millers’ Association, which has been on an indefinite strike since Monday, called off their protest on Thursday and cooperated with the state government in the procurement
of paddy from farmers.
The rice millers had launched the strike since Monday, leading to disruption in the paddy procurement process, an official said.
The association has been demanding an increase in milling charges, revision of transportation rates for paddy and rice and enhanced custody and maintenance levies for the grain stored in their godowns.
“Out of our four demands, the Odisha government has fulfilled one demand for payments for three months of custody maintenance of paddy. The government is considering the other three demands,” said miller’s organisation president Mahesh Bansal.
The millers have started lifting of paddy from mandis in all districts, where procurement is in progress, he claimed.
The association’s general secretary L Deepak Ranjan Das said the association decided to call off its agitation and resume paddy lifting in view of the ensuing Makar Sankranti on January 14, a significant festival of the farmers.
The government will soon come out with a notification on the payment of custody charges within a day or two. The government has sought a week’s time for fulfilment of the three other demands, he said.
If the government does not consider the remaining demands in the next 15 days, the association will take future course of action, Das said.
The government has procured over 14 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in 19 districts of Odisha so far during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), officials said. PTI BBM BBM RG
