The residents in Gouri, Wana and Badigan villages under Gajapati district’s Kasinagar block are facing a drought situation due to lack of rain in these areas.
The lift Irrigation Department has cheated these farmers saying that it will provide deep borewell, including motor and electricity facility, under a scheme and took lakhs of rupees from this farmers under the plea in last three years.
While farmers still are waiting to get the bore wells, it is alleged that rampant corruption has taken place in the scheme, wherever bore wells have been dug.
In various parts of the district, the farmers have experienced scanty rain fall. Hundreds hectares of agriculture land have been turned into fallow lands as no cultivation took place. Consequently, the farmers are leading a miserable life.
The Bangsadhara river and the Ankarada dam are situated near the farm lands but ironically, not a drop of water is available in the area. The Gajapati lift Irrigation Department whose job is to provide water to the farmers for agriculture purposes is not showing any interest. Besides, the Andarada Dam is in an abandoned state.
The department is not doing any renovation work of the dam. It has turned to be a dense jungle, alleged the farmers. Money has been allotted for the work, but the department is not spending a single pie. Hence, a high level probe is required in this department, demanded the farmers.
Before three years in 2015, Wana village and Badigan were declared as drought affected area after a report given by the lift Irrigation Corporations. The farmers were told to pay Rs 20,000 through DD in lieu of a deep bore well, including installation of motor and electricity connection. Nearly 50 farmers from this block had paid the sum of money. However, though it has been more than three years, the department has failed to provide the bore wells to the farmers.
Several times the deprived farmers had given written complaint to the concerned department but in vain. The farmers have also given a written complaint to the district Collector recently.
local farmers like B Balaraju, B Naresh, Anand Rao, K Samulo, B Tirupathi Rao, Rajendar Sahoo, S Rajulo, Binodh Kumar and Rajendra Sahoo, among others, have lamented that there are few takers of the directions of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for efficient service delivery in Gajapati Irrigation department.