Farmers stage protest, seek recovery of money

Though the persons involved in the fraud were suspended following a Crime Branch inquiry, nothing action has been taken to recover the amount farmers had been cheated of.
Farmers staging dharna in front of CCCB, Erasama branch on Wednesday | Express
Farmers staging dharna in front of CCCB, Erasama branch on Wednesday | Express

JAGATSINGHPUR: Hundreds of farmers demonstrated in front of Erasama branch of Cuttack Central Cooperative Bank (CCCB) on Wednesday protesting alleged misappropriation of loans sanctioned by the primary agriculture cooperative society (PACS) at Nuadihi. 

Though the persons involved in the fraud were suspended following a Crime Branch inquiry, nothing action has been taken to recover the amount farmers had been cheated of. Out of the 1,700 members of the PACS, the agitators said, only 56 were extended crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in 2017. The insurance meant for the rest was allegedly misappropriated by the then secretary of the PACS, Tritha Sambad Gochhayat and former manager of CCCB Dolagobinda Khatua. 

Similarly, under short term and joint liability group scheme, crop loans of Rs 1 lakh each was sanctioned in favour of 84 women registered under the PACS. However, they received only Rs 50,000 each in their accounts. The protestors said the rest amount was misappropriated by Gochhayat who deposited Rs 15 lakh, Rs 9 lakh and Rs 6 lakh in the bank accounts of his father and two brothers respectively. 

Urmila Khuntia, a farmer of Rupakhandi village said crop loan of Rs 49,000 was sanctioned to her in 2010 but she received only Rs 9,000 in her account. Another farmer Biswajit Biswal alleged that a loan of Rs 58,000 was sanctioned for him but he received only Rs 30,000. Both of them alleged their pending loan amounts were misappropriated by Gochhayat. 

Nuadihi sarpanch Sabita Routray said the state government ordered a CB probe into the issue earlier in March following which Gochhayat and Khatua were suspended. However, no step has yet been taken to recover the amount they had allegedly misappropriated. 

The farmers had submitted a memorandum in this regard to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through the local tehsildar recently, she said. Erasama tehsildar Chittaranjan Mahanta, accompanied by police, rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators following which they called off their protest in the afternoon. 
 

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