While the State Government is claiming to be taking care the interest of the farmers by setting up a Cabinet for Agriculture and placing a separate Budget for Agriculture, farmers are left in dire straits due to nonpayment of their dues.
A large number of farmers continue to wait for payment for the paddy seeds they sold to the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) last December. Despite repeated approach seeking payment, the OSSC authorities are apathetic towards the farmers’ grievance.
As per an agreement, the farmers are selling paddy seeds to the Government via the OSSC. Official sources said the payment delay was mainly due to the absence of a Managing Director of the OSSC. Meanwhile, the Government has appointed a new MD, but the farmers’ plight finds no end.
Besides, the authorities also failed to provide necessary gunny bags for the seeds at the processing centres which has hampered processing work. Most of the processing centres are not functioning properly, due to which the farmers are forced to continue to keep the seeds there.
While the Government is claiming that the State is self-reliant in seed production and has targeted procurement of seven lakh tonne, the farmers are worried about their dues.
Notably, around 5,000 farmers are producing seeds in the State for which they have borrowed funds from various banks. Due to irregularity in payment from the OSSC, the interest on the loan is mounting.
In such a situation, the farmers are demanding timely payment to clear their loans. They have threatened to sell their stock in the mandies if the corporation fails to make timely payment, sources said.
A report from Brahmapur says that two years after the cyclone Phailin hit Odisha, several affected farmers of Ganjam are yet to get compensation for their crop losses. leaders of farmers’ organisations have alleged that around 50,000 farmers, mostly small ones and sharecroppers, are yet to get relief.
Farmer organisations like Odisha Forum for Social Action, Rushikulya Raita Mahasabha and Odisha Chasi Suraksha Abhiyan have threatened to stage a dharna in front of the DRDA office at Chhatrapur in protest against non-payment of compensation.
The Government had announced to provide compensation to them, but no farmer has got the compensation, alleged Rushikulya Raita Mahasabha secretary Simanchal Nahak.
He said they had filed a PIl in the Orissa High Court. “The district administration is not listening to our grievances,” alleged Chasi Suraksha Abhiyan convener Rabi Rath.
However, the district administration dismissed the allegations. “We have disbursed compensation among 95 per cent of the affected farmers,” Additional District Magistrate (Revenue) Sitanshu Rout said.
“The farmers, who have not got the compensation, were not in their respective villages during disbursement of compensation. We have sought the list of farmers who have not got compensation,” he said.
The Government has sanctioned Rs50 224 crore to the district for disbursement of compensation among the affected farmers, official sources said.