KOCHI: Bharathiya Kisan Morcha State leaders on Monday urged the Central Government to send a team to assess the utilisation funds allotted to Kerala, under various schemes, during the last decade.
The demand was raised in a letter sent to Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh. Kisan Morcha leaders also urged the Centre to probe the role of both the UDF and LDF governments in underutilising the funds.
They further urged the Central Government to be vigilant in future in tracking utilisation of the funds allotted to Kerala, under various agricultural projects. The letter was sent by Kisan Morcha state secretary T Balachandran.
‘Farmers Ignored’
“Thousands of crores have been spent by the Central Government under various projects and Plans. But, a significant portion of the funds were not utilised for the benefit of farmers. The projects related to Kuttanad and Idukki are glaring examples.
“This should not be treated as a political issue, but as a move in the right direction to correct the wrongdoings of the previous governments and the officials,” he pointed out.
Farmers in the State, who depend on agriculture for livelihood, are finding it difficult to make both ends meet. The State Government -present and previous- has failed miserably to address the grievances of the farmers.
The situation is worsening in the rubber, coffee, tea and cardamom sectors. The coconut farmers are struggling to survive as yields continue to shrink due to diseases, and the condition of the paddy farmers are also not different.
“Earlier, the State Government had made arrangements to procure paddy from farmers through the Department of Civil Supplies. But this year, nothing has been done,” the letter stated.