Former state agriculture minister and MLA Randhir Kumar Singh has accused the State Government of gross irregularities in the Agriculture Department and laxity in spending budget allocation of the agriculture department. He said that there is a complete lack of leadership in the present government. The situation of the farmers of the State has worsened and the government has proved incompetent to spend despite having money. Singh was addressing a press conference at the BJP state office on Thursday as part of BJP highlighting department wise loopholes.
Speaking on various schemes of agriculture department, Singh said that the government has not been able to spend even 20 per cent of budgetary allocation in agriculture department. The State Government has failed to spend the money provided by the Centre. Singh claimed that the state government has even failed to provide utilization certificate to Centre. Not only, the government has put brakes on several schemes launched during Raghubar Das government, with a view to increase the income of the farmers and has also reduced the size of the budget of many schemes.
Giving details about expenditure in various schemes, the former agriculture minister said the state government in budgetary allocation of Rs 2819.30 crore of agriculture department has spent only Rs 47.30 crore which is only 8.68 per cent, in animal husbandry out of budget of Rs 96.50 crore the government has spent only 5.37 crore which is only 5.56 percent of total budgetary allocation. In dairy, the government has spent Rs 7.89 crore out of sanctioned Rs 169 crores, fisheries Rs 12.95 crores out of total Rs 71.98 crores of budget allocation. In Cooperative the government has failed any money out of Rs 216 crores of budget allocation. “The above data shows that this government is anti-farmer government, also the government has put brakes on various schemes launched by the earlier BJP government,” added Singh. He said under the BJP government Krishi Aashirwad Yojana was launched under which 16.51 lakh farmers provided financial assistance amounting to Rs 5000 per acre and Rs 25,000 for 5 acres, which was stopped by the present government.
"The present government had said in the manifesto to waive loans up to Rs 2 lakh, but the government has reversed its promises. The government has clearly stated that the loan waiver amount will also be less. That too will be given one member in a family. Also, those farmers whose account has become NPA their case is uncertain," Singh said.
The BJP MLA further said that the government has set up only 398 paddy purchasing centers in 260 blocks, which is much less. The JMM and Congress had promised to give a minimum support price of Rs 2500 to Rs 2700 per quintal of paddy to farmers, but the government has fixed only Rs 2266 per quintal for the same.