The State Government has introduced several schemes for development of agriculture and horticulture in rural areas. But whether the farmers are able to take benefit from these schemes is a moot point in Keonjhar district.
Apart from massive corruption in the MGNRGEA funds, an assessment of different horticultural development programme in the district points to similar gross irregularities and misuse of huge funds.
It is found that out of the funds allocated for rejuvenation of orchards in Keonjhar district in 2013-14, the entire funds were spent in only Telkoi and Saharpada blocks ignoring farmers of other 11 blocks. Names of farmers who never have any orchards are shown as beneficiaries, whereas Rs 20,000 as input is shown in records to have been given to each farmer for rejuvenation of their old orchards.
According to the Horticulture Department records, in 2013-14,
under Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Nutrient Management programmes, 137 beneficiaries in Jagmohanpur, Siriabahal and Chammunda villages were given inputs of Rs 4,000 each. Interestingly, the names of the same 137 beneficiaries are shown in the beneficiary list of rejuvenation of orchard scheme in 2014-15 and forged bills have been prepared.
The field staffers were asked to submit the names of farmers for an exposure visit within the State through the ATMA programme conducted by the Agriculture Department. But soon after the visit, another bill was prepared listing names of different farmers and expenses for an exposure visit by the Horticulture Department. The address of the beneficiaries is not found in the records and also the signatures raise suspicion on their genuineness. In the distribution of mulching polythene to farmers in 2014-15, most of the names in the beneficiary list are found to have been repeated. For an example, Kedarnath Mahanta, son of Kusadhar Mahanta, in serial number 6 is repeated in serial number 124. Similarly laxmikanta Patra, son of Naba Kishore Patra in serial 9 is repeated in serial number 121. Name of Khirod Mahanta is found both in serial 10 and serial 121. In this scheme Rs 67 lakh was shown spent by the department, but how much has the fund reached the farmers is matter worth probing.
Sources informed that mulching polythene which was procured in 2013-14 was distributed in 2014-15 and another Rs 9 lakh bill was raised for its purchase in 2014-15. In the farmers training programme under vegetable cultivation in urban cluster in 2014-15, Rs 200 honorarium
was to be paid to the trainees. But only a packet of bio-fertilizer meant for free distribution was given to the 600 trainee farmers instead of the honorarium. Rs 1.20 lakh was misappropriated in this respect.
In 2014-15, Rs 50 lakh was shown as expenditure for purchase of tomato seed. As per records this seed was shown distributed among 1,000 farmers with Rs 3,500 value of input supplied to each farmer. Many farmers in the beneficiary list told that they were not given any seed but subsidy was claimed in their name without tomato cultivation. It was surprising that while the subsidy amount due to farmers in 2013-14 was
pending, the subsidy amount to the seed supplier for 2014-15 was released on priority.
18,000 rose plants were shown procured by DDH for free distribution in 2014-15 and about Rs 3 lakh was spent for the purpose. Similarly in 2013-14 papaya seedlings worth Rs 5.40 lakh was shown purchased from OCCF, Baripada for distribution but there is little track of when and where these seedlings were transported and planted. Even many departmental staff also claimed their ignorance about such procurement and distribution.