Bargarh, Nov 7: Tension prevailed here as a large number of farmers gathered and protested raising as many as 14 issues including negligence of the Odisha government in payment of input subsidy and crop insurance payments, provision of irrigation facilities, and procurement of paddy at Mandis in the district.

About a hundred farmers took to the streets under the aegis of the Rajbodasambar Farmers' Organization. It has been more than a year that the farmers have been staging a protest in front of the office of the Sub-Collector.

The farmers of the district's Padamapur area alleged that they have not been given drought input subsidy and insurance money since 2021. The State Government had made the promise during the Padmpur by-poll.

While crops were destroyed in 72 thousand hectares of land, assistance to the tune of Rs 52 crore came for the farmers after repeated agitations.

However, all farmers didn't get the crop insurance money. Rs 7 crore reportedly returned to the exchequer.

"The district administration neglected to disburse the insurance amount. Farmers are suffering a lot," alleged the agitators.

Though during the by-poll the State government promised to declare Padmapur a separate district within the year, 2023, it has not been translated into reality yet, they anguished.

"The ruling party (BJD) promised to fulfill our demands during the by-poll but forgot everything after voting," they alleged.

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