Nayagarh: Alleged large-scale black-marketing of fertilisers in Nayagarh district has left farmers impoverished and hit the agrarian economy hard.
According to reports, farmers here have to shell out anything between Rs330 to Rs450, or even more, to buy a 45-kg bag of fertiliser from the open market which they otherwise purchase at the government rate of Rs266.50 to Rs242 from cooperative stores. They alleged that the scarcity situation has happened due to the malafide callousness of the district administration and Agriculture department officials who are dragging their feet over streamlining the supply of subsidised fertilizers.
According to rules, the state-owned Markfed should supply fertilisers to government cooperative stores for sale among the farmers. However, it is alleged that some of the fertiliser consignments dispatched from Markfed godown go missing during transportation to cooperative stores.
As a result, the farmers are forced to pay double the price (than the government rate) to buy those from the open market.
Farmers said, though they have lodged a series of complaints in this regard at regular intervals, their plight is yet to be heard. They also alleged that the fertilisers supplied from Markfed godown to most of the societies in the district are available to only a handful of societies.
Sources said that the district has a total of 157 cooperative societies. Of them, 142 are in seven blocks under the Nayagarh Central Cooperative Bank, while the rest 15 are in Ranpur block which function under the neighbouring Khurda Central Cooperative Bank. Reports stated that only 45 per cent of the societies have received fertilisers from Markfed this season.
Sources said some societies are turning away farmers visiting there to buy fertilisers due to lack of adequate stock. It is even alleged that some societies are charging an extra Rs30- Rs50 over and above the government price for a packet of fertiliser.
President of a cooperative society, who requested not to be named, said that fertilisers transported from Markfed godown are diverted elsewhere en route by some unscrupulous officials. Though the officials have been involved in these irregularities since long, they are getting away with impunity. He also said though the society led by him has some stock of fertilizer, they are unable to sell those to the farmers as it is not adequate for their requirements.
That is the reason why they are refusing the farmers who are approaching them on a regular basis for fertilisers as they are unsure of whom to give and who to deny.
Rama Chandra Sahu, a farmer in Nayagarh said there is good demand for IFFCO urea. The government price for a 45-kg packet of IFFCO urea is Rs242 while it is being sold for Rs380 to Rs400 in the black market. Similarly, the government price for a 50-kg packet of IFFCO fertilisers is Rs262, but it is sold at anything between Rs400 to Rs450 in the black market. “No action has been taken despite repeated complaints in this regard,” he said.
Farmer Bhaskar Jena of Jagannathprasad said that his society is yet to receive fertiliser for which they are forced to buy it at Rs300 per packet in black market from the Manikagoda society in Khurda district. The same packet of fertiliser is also sold for Rs350- Rs400 at private stores in black.
Another farmer, Jagu Mohapatra from Malisahi village said agriculturists in his area are buying fertiliser at Rs360 to Rs400 as the society is yet to receive the stock.
Farmer Abhimanyu Guman Singh of Chakradharprasad village said that the black marketing of fertiliser is a regular affair. And this year it is no exception. “We have to pay `100 to Rs150 more than the government rate to buy a packet of fertilizer,” he said.
Farmer Gobind Sahu of Nuagaon said they started cultivation works following good rainfall this year. But the black marketing of fertilisers has hit them hard. He said though everybody is aware of their problems, no steps are being taken to address those. “We tried several times to inform the Agriculture official about our problem, but he is not responding to our calls,” he alleged.
This correspondent tried to contact the chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Sanjay Kumar Dalei and ARCS Prarthana Priyadarshini over phone. However, they did not respond to the calls.
PNN