UMERKOTE: The satellite survey for verification of paddy fields in Nabarangpur district as part of the procurement process, has brought to fore fake registrations which included mango orchards, cashew and maize fields shown as paddy lands.
According to sources, around 43,757 farmers of the district had registered themselves for selling paddy in the current kharif season. However, preliminary investigation revealed, around 1,111 registrations were made by fake farmers.
The satellite survey revealed that several agriculture lands in Umerkote block registered as paddy fields, were originally forests. Following the revelation, large area multi-purpose cooperative societies’ (LAMPS’) staff reached the respective areas for physical verification during which it was found that mango, cashew and maize were grown in most of the lands instead of paddy.
Sources said a total of 7,615 plots comprising 32,628 acre of the district were found to be falsely registered as paddy fields. Of them 398 were from Nabarangpur, 240 in Nandahandi, 705 in Onchologuma and 719 in Chandahandi among others.
Official sources informed had the paddy been sold without verification, around 42,908 metric tonne of the crop worth `87.53 crore would have been embezzled from the exchequer.
Contacted, district civil supplies officer Sanjib Sahu said, “The fake registrations have been cancelled. We had engaged field staff for physical verification of the lands in question for the purpose. The procurement process began here from December 10.”Around 13 LAMPS, 25 self-help groups and two pani panchayats are involvement in the paddy procurement process.