Jharsuguda District Administration intervenes into the alleged harassment of Odisha farmer by Chhattisgarh Police.

Jharsuguda : Jharsuguda Dist. administration intervenes into the alleged harassment of Odisha Farmer by Chhattisgarh Police and has asked Raigarh District administration to enquire about the incident and return the vehicle and paddy bags seized by Raigarh police on Monday.  

Reports said, on 7th December, A sharecropper identified as Manoj Meher of Kanaktura under Lakhanpur Block was harvesting the paddy from a crop and was loading the paddy bags on his vehicle, when the Chhattisgarh police had allegedly taken the Manoj along with his paddy at the Jute Mill Police Station at Raigarh and seized his vehicle with paddy and had left him after signing several documents at night 1.30 pm.

“I have been working a sharecropper of one Kundan Singhdeo and on 7th December I was harvesting the paddy from the crop and was bringing back home, when in-between Chhattisgarh police came and ask whose paddy is this, I said its mine then they had asked me to come with them and they had taken me to Jute Mill, Raigarh Police station where the police seized my vehicle along with paddy and left me at night,” alleged Manoj Meher 

The local farmers had expressed their strong resentment over this incident and had reported this matter to Jharsuguda District Administration and met Jharsuguda District Collector on Monday who was present in Lakhanpur for Grievance.  

Jharsuguda District Collector Saroj Kumar Samal said,” After receiving information regarding the incident, I have already sent Civil Supply officials along with Lakhanpur Tehsildar to the spot to enquire the matter and submit a report. However, they have clearly accepted that they have been working without the knowledge of the exact boundary of our Odisha border, so we will be putting up the clear marking for easy identification. Secondly, I even spoke to District Collector of Raigarh and was told that he will speak to Raigarh S.P. and enquire into this incident and would understand the matter. We will take all precautionary steps and ensure that in future such type of incident won’t take place again. Simultaneously, we are requesting people of our district, to be aware that Paddy should not go to Chhattisgarh.”