JEYPORE: The Koraput district administration has begun the process to pay rabi dues to farmers on Monday.
Over five months delay in payment of dues against the rabi crop procured by Kundra and Umuri LAMPS in the district had led to resentment among the farmers who staged several agitations to highlight their plight.
About 900 farmers had sold 72,000 quintals of paddy and Rs 10 crore was to be paid to them. But, the payment was held up after the Collector Jaya Kumar V cited flaws in the paddy transportation.
The farmers also appealed for justice in Orissa High Court by producing vendor receipts. The High Court directed the Collector to pay the farmers but the direction was allegedly not adhered to.
However, the administration put its act together after the Civil Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department, on Friday, asked the administration to furnish details of paddy procurement process of last rabi season and survey the mills where the paddy is stocked.
On the direction of Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Deputy Secretary in the Department asked the district administration to pay the paddy dues of 746 farmers for 61,000 quintals of paddy. The Collector was also directed to file a report on payment within seven days and check the mills where rabi paddy is stocked.
Accordingly, six teams of the Department verified paddy stocks in 26 mills on Monday and found it to be genuine as per the rabi procurement documents submitted by the LAMPS.