Farmer organisation calls dawn-to-dusk Odisha bandh over ‘paddy procurement mess’ on January 28

Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), a farmers’ organisation, on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) called for an Odisha bandh on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) to protest alleged mismanagement in paddy procurement, with the Congress extending support to the dawn-to-dusk shutdown.

“We have been continuously carrying out movements, demonstrations, sit-ins, satyagrahas, and jail bharo programmes, demanding remunerative prices for agricultural produce, dignity for farmers, and a farmer security allowance (pension). The sustained struggle resulted in many pro-poor schemes, including the Odisha Government’s assistance of ₹800 per quintal of paddy,” said NKS convenor Akshay Kumar.

However, Mr. Kumar alleged that the current paddy procurement mandis (agricultural markets) had become extremely “chaotic” with most mandis virtually non-functional. Farmers, he said, were forced to sit through the night with tens of quintals of paddy lying in the mandis.

“Against a capacity of 40 quintals per truck, only 10 or 20 quintals are being lifted. Under the pretext of FAQ (Fair Average Quality) norms, arbitrary deductions ranging from 4 kg to 10 kg per quintal are being made. It is illegal and against interest of the farming community,” he pointed out.

Mr. Kumar also objected to the Food Supplies Minister’s recent statement that only farmers supplying up to 150 quintals of paddy would be eligible for the ₹800 input assistance, calling the move unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee extended support to the 12-hour bandh, saying it was aimed at highlighting “farm distress”. A Congress spokesperson said party president Bhakta Charan Das had been leading protests across the State against policies of the Mohan Charan Majhi Government affecting farmers.

Responding to the bandh call, Biju Janata Dal said the party would not actively participate. “We may not participate or extend formal support to the bandh. However, we stand with the cause. The party has announced weeks-long protests on farmer issues from February 2 to 16,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.