Chhatrapur: Largescale irregularities have been committed in subsidised fertiliser supply and distribution in Ganjam. The cooperation department has ordered an investigation into the irregularities, a report said.
According to the report, every year, farmers fail to get fertilisers as per their requirements during the peak of the paddy farming season. Short supply of fertilisers often provides traders and retailers an opportunity to sell it at high prices.
Farmers had earlier alleged that farming had been affected due to short supply of fertilisers in the kharif season. In the current year, various farmers’ organisations have been alleging unavailability of fertilisers.
They have apprised the district administration and the cooperation department of the problem. They rued that irregularities are being committed in the Ganjam district when the State and Central governments have emphasised on smooth distribution of fertilisers to farmers.
Alleged irregularities have defeated the purpose of the subsidy to the farmers. Direct benefit transfer (DBT) has been made mandatory for farmers availing fertilisers with subsidy.
As per guidelines, Aadhaar of farmers has been linked to their biometrics. Farmers while buying fertilisers have to give biometrics on POS machines.
However, some cooperative societies, which have been entrusted with fertiliser distribution, have thrown such guidelines to the winds in the current kharif season.
As a result, many farmers have failed to get subsidy benefits and their quota.
Taking note of such irregularities, the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), which has been authorised by the Central government to supply fertilisers to the state government, had lodged an objection on violation of guidelines in a letter to the cooperation department October 26.
In the letter, it was alleged that 13 cooperative societies in Ganjam have sold fertilisers without taking biometrics of the farmers. It claimed that these cooperative societies have sold out 119.693 metric tonnes of fertilisers.
Investigation will ascertain if genuine farmers have received the fertilisers or not. Acting on the complaint of the IFFCO, the registrar of cooperative societies, Bhubaneswar, has started an investigation into it.
He has directed the deputy registrar of cooperative societies and all the assistant registrars of cooperative societies of Ganjam to submit an investigation report about the irregularities.
PNN