Nanakram Bibhar, a marginal farmer of Biromal village in Nuapada district, does not know what a rotavator (rotary tiller) is. But, documents with the Agriculture Department show that a rotavator was supplied to him during the financial year 2014-15 under “Popularization of Agril Implements, equipment and diesel pump sets” scheme.
The supplier during the year 2014-15 was Annapurna Agro International Private limited based at Baleswar. Dou Majhi of Karchul village under Dharambandha Gram Panchayat is also listed as a beneficiary under the scheme. But he denies of getting any machine. “We knew about this when the Assistant Agriculture Engineer (AAE) of the agriculture office of Nuapada and the supplier came to us last month and said that the machines would be delivered to us,” they both said, adding that that was all about the machine, while the supply was never made.
Both of them did not come under the influence of the supplier and filed complaints in the Jonk and Dharambandha police stations separately alleging misappropriation of subsidy money by the agriculture officials by preparing forged documents. The matter came to forefront when Zilla Krushak Sangha president Ghasiram Majhi sat in demonstration in front of the district Collector’s office demanding action against the culprits.
“There is a big scam involved in the scheme and more than Rs80 lakh as subsidy in the name of 107 SC and ST farmers has been availed by the suppliers in last two years in connivance with the AAE, DAO and the Deputy Director of Agriculture,” said Majhi. It is learnt that, the supplier never supplied the machines to the beneficiaries but the officials uploaded photographs of unknown persons with the machines and helped the supplier avail subsidy amount to the tune of Rs89 lakh.
Majhi said that he personally met the Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate on May 19 and requested them to initiate action against the officials on the basis complaint filed by the farmers with the police.
“I sat in demonstration in front of the Collectorate from May 24 when the police did not lodge the FIR and the district authorities did not initiate any action,” Majhi added.
The guideline of Agriculture Department says that farmers engaged in agricultural farming are eligible to avail farm machineries in subsidised rate under the scheme. The process starts from submission of application by the farmers in the local DAO circle in prescribed application form. They are scrutinised and short listed in the office and given online approval of the DAO. Hard copy permits order signed by the DAO which is handed over to the beneficiary. The registered supplier on the other hand gets SMS / e-mail and sells the machine to the beneficiaries after deducting the subsidy cost from its price. In case of rotavators, the cost had been fixed at Rs27,000 after deduction of subsidy amount of Rs80,000. When the supplier fills up the machine details online, the system sends the SMS and mail to the concerned AAE for verification. The AAE, after verification, uploads the photo of the machine along with the beneficiary.
“They have not taken our photographs,” said Bibhar and Dou. But, interestingly the photographs against these supplies have been uploaded. “It is a big racket running since last year. Photographs with the rotavators of other unknown people are uploaded in the name of enlisted beneficieries,” revealed Majhi. Meanwhile, the Collector has entrusted the sub-collector to conduct an enquiry. The case has also been handed over to the Vigilance.