Odisha: Bhadrak Collector disguises as farmer to investigate alleged coercive deduction of paddy at mandi
In an unprecedented move, Dilip Routrai, the Collector of Bhadrak district in Odisha, disguised himself as a farmer and visited the Katasahi mandi in Dhamnagar block on Saturday to investigate allegations of "katni-chhatni" – the coercive deduction of paddy by middlemen.
Bhubaneswar: In an unprecedented move, Dilip Routrai, the Collector of Bhadrak district in Odisha, disguised himself as a farmer and visited the Katasahi mandi in Dhamnagar block on Saturday to investigate allegations of "katni-chhatni" – the coercive deduction of paddy by middlemen.
‘Katni Chhatni’ is a colloquial Odia term that refers to the practice of reducing the weight of farm produce to account for potential moisture content or damage to the grains.
On Monday, sources revealed that the Collector took extraordinary steps to uncover the truth. He parked his vehicle at a distance, then arrived at the Katasahi Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) dressed in casual attire—shorts, a T-shirt, and a face mask. In this disguise, Routrai walked through the mandi, inspecting conditions and speaking directly with farmers about their concerns.
Without revealing his identity, the Collector conversed with farmers about their paddy sales and even attempted to sell paddy using a fellow farmer's token. When he did so, a cooperative official mentioned that approximately 8 kg of paddy would be deducted as waste.
Confirming the farmers' complaints of ‘katni-chhatni,’ Routrai issued a show-cause notice to the concerned PACS officials on the spot. The notice read: “The allegations against your PACS have been found to be true. You are required to show cause why appropriate action should not be taken against you.”
The notice further instructed the PACS officials to submit their response within two days, warning that failure to do so would result in further action. It also highlighted that the Collector had received numerous reports detailing how farmers were being exploited by PACS and millers.
In addition, the letter mentioned that the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies (ARCS) of Bhadrak had recently met with PACS secretaries to ensure farmers were not being cheated. Despite these efforts, the practice of ‘katni-chhatni’ persisted, prompting the Collector’s decisive approach.