Farmer Leaders Detained in Bargarh Ahead of Deputy CM's Visit

Farmer leaders Ramesh Mahapatra, Suresh Nikanti, and Sudam Patra were allegedly detained in Bargarh ahead of Odisha Deputy CM KV Singh Deo's visit to the district on Sunday. The alleged police action is believed to be linked to fears of protests over irregularities in paddy procurement and delays in lifting harvested paddy from mandis. According to sources, the detained farmer representatives were planning to raise their concerns before the Minister during today's programme. However, there has been no official confirmation or response from the police regarding the alleged detentions. Kishore Sahu from Samyukta Krushak Sangathan (a local outfit) said, "Since early this morning, police have arrested all our farmer leaders. When we woke up, we were shocked to see this. We wondered why they were arrested. Something must have happened, so we inquired and found out that the Agriculture Minister is visiting Bargarh. Since the Minister is coming, they arrested our leaders." He further remarked that during the Dhanu Jatra festival the Minister had said he would watch the farmers' 'nautanki' (theatrical performances), and the recent arrests appear to be a preemptive move to curb the planned protest. The detained farmer leaders, Ramesh Mahapatra, Suresh Nikanti and Sudam Patra, were reportedly taken into preventive custody from different parts of Bargarh district early Sunday morning, heightening fears that the planned protest would be disrupted before the Minister's arrival. The new electricity substation slated for inauguration on Panchayat College Road is part of the state government's initiative to modernize rural power supply to the area, a development the Deputy CM is scheduled to oversee during his visit. Police have not yet provided any official statement confirming the detentions or explaining the legal basis for the preventive custody, leaving the matter unresolved and sparking speculation among locals and media outlets. Kishore Sahu further criticized the state administration, referring to it as a 'double-engine' government that has failed to address the farmers' grievances and now appears to require a 'third engine' to function effectively, underscoring the growing frustration among the farming community. During the recent Dhanu Jatra festival, the Deputy CM had publicly promised to watch the farmers' 'nautanki' (theatrical performances), a pledge that was later cited by Kishore Sahu as context for the current arrests, suggesting that the authorities may be preemptively moving to curb the planned demonstration. With the paddy accumulation posing a risk of crop loss and financial distress, the incident has intensified calls for swift action by the state agriculture department to lift the harvested grain and resolve the procurement bottlenecks.

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