PALAKKAD: A day after ‘Express’ published an article on the inordinate delay in payment of the procurement price to paddy farmers, marketing officer Sreekumar S has urged all farmers to open a new account in the District Cooperative Bank (DCB) for getting the due amount.
“All they need is to open an account with the District Cooperative Bank for getting the amount. Supplyco has taken a loan of `50 crore at 4 per cent interest from the DCB for disbursing the amount.
Once they have opened the account, the farmers will have to provide the Supplyco’s receipt at the bank,” he said.
He also said that the delay from the part of the government in releasing the funds had exasperated the crisis. However,now government has given its nod to borrow loan, and hence the amount will be distributed at the earliest. But, the paddy farmers are up in arms against the laxity and callous approach of the officials in resolving the issue, and expressed their discontent on the new solution put forth by the officials.
“It’s the bank’s strategy to expand its business. For opening an account, each farmer will have to shell out `500. With thousands of farmers opening new accounts, it would be a field day for the bank to do brisk business.
“The Supplyco has been transferring funds to our Service Cooperative bank accounts since 2008. So,we don’t need a new system” said Narayanan Nair, a farmer.
Khaja Hussain, a farmer and Palakkad taluk sabha member, said: “We are not seeking any alms or charity, what we are demanding is the price of our blood, sweat and toil; it’s our right.”