With the opposition Congress and the BJP questioning the modalities of input subsidy being provided by the State Government to the sharecroppers as part of its drought assistance policy, Revenue and Disaster Management Secretary Mona Sharma on Wednesday clarified that the Government was yet to take a final decision on identificationof sharecroppers.
“We are waiting for the report of the committee constituted by the Development Commissioner. Since the committee has not yet submitted its report, the State Government, as per its drought assistance policy of 2011, has provided agricultural input subsidy to the farmers on the basis of the report of the Revenue Inspector (RI) and identification of the affected farmers by the village committee,” she told mediapersons here after presiding over a review meeting of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department here. Notably, the opposition Congress and BJP on Tuesday had questioned the veracity in the statement of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Mohapatra that the State Government had provided input subsidy to the sharecroppers this year.
In their reaction, Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati and BJP legislature Party leader Basant Panda had said the State Government had formed a high level committee in 2013 for amendment to the Odisha land Reforms (OlR) Act to provide financial assistance to the farmers during natural calamity.
“While the Government is yet to implement the recommendation of the committee, how come it has provided input subsidy to the sharecroppers and on what basisIJ” they wondered.
Countering the allegation of the Opposition, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Bijayshree Routray said the Government, in an order in 2013, had made it clear that it would provide drought assistance to the actual farmers.
“However, realising the need for an amendment in the OlR Act, the Government later constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner. After the committee gives its recommendation, we will determine the volume of input subsidy to be given to the sharecroppers,” the Minister pointed out.