Farmers lock agri officials in Balangir

BHUBANESWAR | Monday, August 1, 2011 | Email | Print | | Back


Farmers lock agri officials in Balangir
July 31, 2011 11:03:30 PM
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PNS | Balangir

Demanding extension of the deadline of crop insurance, large numbers of farmers in Patnagarh and Loisingha blocks of Balangir district staged Rasta Roko on Saturday.

The crop insurance forma have to be signed by the local Agriculture Department officer. The day being a Saturday and the bank transaction time ending at 1 pm, a large number of forms could not be signed by the officer by that period.

As a result, hundreds of irate farmers demanding insurance cover and extension of the deadline staged the Rasta Roko at Patnagarh. They burnt tyres on the different roads connecting Patnagarh, including the Balangir-Patnagarh highway.

Later, the agitating farmers locked the local Assistant Agriculture Officer and other departmental employees inside their office.

Earlier too, several farmers staged a road blockade before the block office in the evening at Loisingha demanding extension of the crop insurance time.

The farmers submitted a memorandum to the local BDO demanding that the deadline be extended till August 15.

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