Farmers of Nuapada district are yet to get their insurance dues for the 2015 Kharif paddy crop although an amount of Rs 90 crore was released to the district more than three months ago. It is learnt that the Government has instructed the banks to block the accounts of the farmers.
“Amounts have been deposited in the farmers’ bank accounts, but the farmers will be allowed to withdraw the money after they sign an undertaking stating that they have not done insurance for the same crop land with any other banks,” clarify the banks.
“The reason for blocking the bank accounts is very peculiar. Are not the banks also responsible for allowing farmers to take multiple insurance on same land,” asks BJP Krushak Morcha district president Sanjay Tiwari.
It is learnt that the insurance coverage of the Kharif paddy crop in the stated year is 110 per cent more than the existing sown area in Khariar block. “This has occurred due to multiple uses of the same land documents by multiple members of the same family for taking insurance,” informed the head of the Khariar branch of a cooperative bank.
“Why the farmers were first of all allowed by the Agriculture and Revenue Departments for the multiple uses of the land patta,” asks Tiwari. The Krushak Sakti Sangathana, a farmers’ organisation of the district, has warned that if action is not taken immediately, the Sangathana would come to the streets and lock the banks and agriculture offices.