BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Opposition political parties decried the special package announced by the Government for the farmers, no one including the ruling party members, is sure how share-croppers will get their compensation.
Although a majority of the big farmers of the State has given their land for share cropping, the share-croppers are officially not recognised in the absence of any records. However, Bargarh and Sambalpur districts are the only exception where the district administrations have issued farmer’s identity cards to even share- croppers to facilitate sale of paddy at officially recognised mandis.
Announcing a special package of ` 900 crore for the farmers in the just concluded Assembly, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that farmers who have suffered more than 50 per cent crop loss will get an ex-gratia of ` 2,000 per hectare over and above the agricultural input subsidy as per the norms of the State Calamity Relief Fund (CRF).
‘’The eligible amount (compensation) will be paid to the actual cultivators,’’ the Chief Minister announced. He, however, did not clarify the method to be adopted to identify the original cultivator.
As per the Government announcement, the share-croppers are entitled for agricultural input subsidy of ` 2,000 per hectare for rainfed areas, ` 4,000 per hectare for irrigated areas, and ` 6,000 per hectare for perennial crops.
Besides, the short-term kharif crop loan of the affected farmers will be converted into medium-term loans repayable over three years. The interest rate on the loan has been reduced from 9 to 5 per cent.
The moot question is how the Government will identify the share-croppers if the original land owner will not certify them for the compensation.
A western Orissa leader and a prominent gountia (big farmer) told this paper on condition of anonymity that a large number of farmer’s identity cards in circulation in Bargarh and Sambalpur districts are fake. Since the district administration is responsible for the issue of ghost identity card, a substantial portion of the package will go to the pocket of the corrupt officials.
The Government should clearly spell out the mechanism for the identification of the share croppers, a senior BJD leader said.