Malkangiri: Even as farmers have been facing a host of problems at mandis in Malkangiri district, surprisingly some farmers have received their payments for paddy procurement twice in their bank accounts, a report said. These double-payments have added to the worries of the civil supplies’ and bank officials on how to recover the money from the farmers.
Reports said funds over Rs 1 crore has been credited into bank accounts of scores of farmers in Kalimela, Padia, Korukunda, Mathili and Malkangiri blocks.
After the matter came to the fore, a special team from Bhubaneswar arrived at Malkangiri to block the accounts of the farmers who have received money twice.
Some accounts of farmers at Utkal Gramin Bank and other banks at Padia, MV-88, Kalimela and Malkangiri have been blocked, sources said.
Now, the problem is that some farmers have withdrawn their entire bank balance. A bank official revealed that the farmers who have doubly received the money have been directed to refund it.
For instance, Rs 54,450 was credited into account of farmer De Baby Reddy of MV-88 December 18.
Similarly, Palla Kabadi, Tapas Mandal, Ramsrishna Majhi, Narayan Mandal, Madkani Ganga, Goura Mallick, Nityananda Mistri, Sammiran Majumdar, Ogal Bhima, Jagi Madhi and Kabai Jodi of Padia village received Rs 8 lakh in their accounts in two phases December 18.
Besides, Rs 7 lakh has been credited twice into accounts of Ranjit Mistri, Sunil Haldar, Malina Mandal, Sudev Baroi, Jagdish Sardar, Kumudu Madkami, Biswajit Gaina, Anukul Das, Binay Kabiraj and Susama mandal of Kalimela block.
It may be mentioned here that some farmers have voluntarily returned their money.
Various quarters were shocked over this fact and noted how the officials of the cooperative societies and banks could be so irresponsible to credit money twice into accounts of so many farmers.