Jajpur: Instead of providing services to the farmers, the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) in Jajpur district are allegedly siphoning off their money.
In fact, lakhs of rupees were misappropriated by a section of unscrupulous staff at Barchana PACS in the district by registering fake names as farmers.
This came to the fore after some farmers recently took up the matter with Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare and Cooperation Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain.
On the basis of the farmers’ allegation, registrar of State Cooperative Society and Registrar Cooperative Society (RCS), in a letter (No-9566/30-06-2021), asked the deputy registrar (Credit) to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report within a week.
The farmers are of the opinion that a proper investigation will lay bare the rampant corruption at Barchana PACS.
Earlier, such irregularities were reported at Markandpur PACS.
According to Chintamani Jena, a local farmer, the secretary incharge of Barchana PACS with the help of some local traders registered some names as farmers who cultivated lands belong to them.
The names mentioned as farmers include Dhirendra Samal, Debendra Samal, Trilochan Behera, Ranjan Kumar Rout, Padmanabha Rout, Chandrahasa Jena, Kartika Jena and Rabindra Behera and they have been referred to as relatives of the original land owners.
Tokens for around 3,000 quintalsof paddy were issued against those names.
As a result, the genuine farmers have not been able to sell their farm produce till date.
The farmers further alleged that Swain had embezzled lakhs of rupees when he was the secretary of the PACS by showing his relatives as owners of farmlands, keeping the original owners in the dark.
The angry farmers alleged that they had earlier lodged a complaint with the concerned officer but no action has been taken against the accused so far.
Prior to this, a sum of about Rs 20,00,000 was misappropriated at the Markandpur PACS by forging documents in the name of four members of a farmer’s family.
A case was lodged in the High Court. Subsequently, the secretary and two other employees of the PACS were suspended on the directive of the High Court.
Similarly, acting on the complaint of some farmers regarding corruption at Mahisara PACS under Dharmasala block, the deputy registrar of State Seva Cooperative Society in his letter (No-8857/03-05-2018) had asked the secretary of Cuttack Central Cooperative Bank to undertake a probe and submit report.
This apart, such allegations have also been reported from Bandal, Dharmasala and Rakhideipur PACS under Korei block. However, the probe into the allegations was stopped due to pressures from some influential persons.
When asked or his comment, secretary in-charge, Barchana PACS, Bikas Kumar Swain denied the allegations of corruption in the PACS.
In this regard, Jajpur assistant registrar of cooperative societies (ARCS), Prashant Kumar Mallick said DRCS is investigating into the allegations. The next course of action will be decided as per the report.
PNN