BHUBANESWAR: Even as the State Government has geared up to compensate farmers, who suffered loss due to pest attack and unseasonal rains recently, non-payment of dues by the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) for seeds it procured from thousands of farmers have left them in the lurch.
According to sources, several farmers had sold moong and black gram seeds to the State PSU in March, 2017 to the tune of `nine crore. However, payment has been delayed citing funds crunch though the State Government has created a corpus fund of `100 crore to help out the farmers. Farmers in many parts of the State are waiting to get their dues for the last seven months.
Sources, however, maintained that OSSC has withdrawn only ` 60 crore so far from the fund. Though the State Government stood guarantee for `40 crore loan, OSSC authorities have so far not taken the loan. This has led to fund crunch in the corporation resulting in unnecessary delay in payment of dues to the farmers.
Farmers alleged that they are supposed to get the first instalment of the dues while supplying the seeds and the rest within one month of the seeds clearing the testing process. Delay in receiving the payment has hampered their preparation for the rabi crop, they added.
Meanwhile, though the State Government had asked district Collectors to submit reports on crop loss due to untimely rains in the second week of November, it is yet to receive reports from all the districts. The Government had announced that farmers will be paid compensation within seven days of receiving the reports.