JAGATSINGHPUR: Reported discrepancies in satellite survey of agriculture fields for paddy procurement during the ongoing kharif season, have allegedly compelled several farmers to resort to distress sale as they are unable to sell their produce to the primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS).
Sources said the district administration has set a target to collect over 12.63 lakh quintal paddy during the ongoing Kharif season.
Around 50,092 farmers had registered their names at 105 PACS to sell their paddy and 10 self-help groups were assigned the duty of procurement. As per the provision, 19 quintal paddy per acre was fixed for sale through the PACS.
However, owing to the faults in satellite surveys, the quantity fixed for procurement has fallen below the stipulated 19 quintals per acre. Farmers alleged they had taken the matter to the assistant registrar of cooperative societies and the Civil Supplies department but to no avail.
Gagan Bihari Das of Alasudha alleged he owns one and a half acre land and had registered to sell around 29 quintal paddy this season but the Civil Supplies department fixed to procure only 8 quintal paddy. Similar complaints were received from Himansu Mohanty of Sanpur, Brundaban Swain of Neepur and several other farmers.
Farmers informed while the prices fixed for normal paddy was Rs 2,183 per quintal and Rs 2,203 per quintal for A-grade quality paddy, those unable to sell their produce to the PACS, were being compelled to dispose of their surplus paddy to local traders at just Rs 1,400-Rs 1,500 per quintal, incurring severe losses.
Satellite surveys undertaken by the Cooperation and Revenue Department, aimed at registering the agriculture fields of farmers for paddy procurement during the ongoing kharif season. However, the surveys reported discrepancies as vast acres of land were falsely recorded as cultivated whereas those that were actually cultivated lands, were inaccurately marked as non-cultivated. This deprived many farmers from selling their paddy at the PACS.
Director of Sanpur PACS Bhagyadhar Swain said, “The issue has occured due to incorrect categorisation of their cultivated land as non-cultivated. Farmers are being forced into distress sale as officials have failed to address their grievances,” he added.
Sub-assistant registrar of the cooperative societies Pravat Mohapatra said the department has till now received over 50 complaints regarding the issue. “It is being suspected the satellite surveys might not have been conducted properly. An inquiry is on,” he informed.