Jajpur: Massive irregularities in procurement of paddy by the self-help groups (SHGs) during the Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 have come to the fore in many districts including in Jajpur, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Ganjam, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Subarnapur .
Thirty-three women self-help groups (WSHGs) in these districts have siphoned off a total of 4661.22 quintals of paddy. It was alleged that these WSHGs have issued vendor receipts without procuring paddy from the farmers.
Managing Director (MD) of the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation, Biswajit Dash, has written to the Collectors and the Civil Supplies Officers (CSOs) of these districts June 18, 2021 to take necessary action against the errant WSHGs.
The MD’s letter was sent after Additional Secretary, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) Department, Bijay Kumar Prusty had sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Mission Shakti June 23, 2021 seeking disciplinary action against the members of these WSHGs.
Failure to procure paddy from the farmers even after vendor receipts had been issued to them brought the irregularities to the fore. It was alleged that money worth lakhs of quintals of paddy has been misappropriated by using bogus farmer papers.
An impartial inquiry of the procurement of paddy by the WSHGs in the state has been sought by the people. About 11.42 lakh quintals of kharif paddy was procured in Jajpur district by 145 Primary Agriculture Cooperatives (PACs) including 23 SHGs.
As many as 43,811 farmers including 14.048 new farmers had enlisted for the programme last year.
However, it was then alleged that over a lakh quintal of paddy was procured through bogus papers. Paddy was bought from families of relations of PACs and SHGs and to make up the shortage in the target given paddy was bought from traders from other states at prices less than MSP.
It was even alleged that PDS rice was recycled with the help of local rice millers. It may be mentioned here that in 2019 KMS, Rs 19 lakh had been misappropriated by bogus buying of paddy from four farmers by Markandpur PACs in Jajpur district.
Action was taken against four members of the PACs. Investigations are still in progress against some other PACs of this district. However, this time around it was alleged that some local influential people have tried to benefit from procurement by using the SHGs as a front.
Baba Akhandalamani SHG of Jajpur district has bought 103.03 quintals of paddy by using false farmer papers. A report by the FS&CW department has shown that three SHGs in Bargarh district, five in Bhadrak, seven in Ganjam, one in Nuapada, 12 in Sambalpur, and four in Subarnapur districts have bought paddy by using bogus farmer papers.
Kechhuapani Bisab SHG has bought the largest 1287.43 quintals of paddy. The hand of PACs in this massive rig-off in the paddy procurement by SHGs may not be ruled out.
PNN