Though about nine months have passed after the cyclone Phailin, the fishermen of Rajnagar have failed to get assistance for their livelihood development under the  Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), thanks to non-cooperation of the financial institutions to provide loans under the scheme, for which the fishermen are now a worried lot.

After the State Government announced to provide financial assistance under the RKVY, 233 fishermen of Rajnagar submitted application forms at the office of the Additional Director of Fishery (Marine) at Kujang to forward the applications to the local banks for funds.

As per the RKVY, the marine fishermen who have lost their boats would get a subsidy of 75 per cent of the cost for boats subject to a maximum of Rs 75,000 and 75 per cent of the cost for nets subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000.

The subsidy amounts should be placed with the banks by the implementing fishery office concerned and the amounts should be adjusted in the loan account of the beneficiaries immediately.

An interest subsidy subvention of 3 per cent would be allowed on interest rate charged on this term local availed by fishermen and an additional interest subvention of 2 per cent would be provided to them for regular/timely repayment of local instalment dues, said Additional Director, Fishery (Marine), Kujang Gyanaranjan Samal.

Nirakar Sethy, a Phailin-affected fisherman of Rajnagar, alleged that the Additional Director of Fishery forwarded 22 applications to the State Bank of India, Rajnagar branch, for assistance. But ironically, the SBI branch demanded margin money of Rs 33,000 from a fisherman to get subsidised loan. As a result, not a single fisherman has availed benefit from the bank.

When contacted, SBI, Rajnagar branch Field Officer Jasobanta Nayak stated that the bank has asked the fishermen to deposit margin money of Rs 33,000. Meanwhile, process is on to sanction subsidised loan to the fishermen within a week or so.