JAGATSINGHPUR: The Balaram scheme launched by the state government to provide crop loans to landless farmers has reportedly failed in the district due to acute shortage of agriculture staff and non-payment of loan to farmers.Sources said though the Agriculture department had targeted to form 4,029 joint liability groups (JLG) in 198 pachayats for the purpose of availing loans, only 728 JLGs were formed after bank verification. However, only 518 out of the total 728 JLGs were sent to banks for availing crop loans for 2,540 landless farmers.
Meanwhile, though the bank had sanctioned crop loan of Rs 46.18 lakh to 53 JLGs, only Rs 35 lakh to 44 JLGs has been disbursed till date benefitting only 221 landless farmers. The aim of the scheme was to provide crop loan between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh to each group.
Farmers’ leader Bansidhar Pattnaik attributed the failure of the scheme to reluctance of banks to provide loan. “The delay in loan acquisition further prevented krushak sathis from getting incentives which is why they were disinterested in forming JLGs. Besides, acute shortage of village-level agriculture workers (VAW), non-availability of landless farmer families and callous attitude of the district administration led to the scheme’s failure in the district,” he alleged.
Sources said there was a provision to engage two krushak sathis in each panchayat. While 396 sathis are required for 198 pachayats, only 376 sathis were working for the scheme. Each krushak sathi received Rs 2,000 as incentive - Rs 1,000 for formation of JLGs and Rs 500 each for repayment and refinancing.
Many krushak sathis, on condition of anonymity, said banks were reluctant to provide crop loans for various reasons like no-payment of previous loan as a result many JLGs were ineligible to avail crop loans. “Failure in availing loans refrained us from getting incentives which is why we were disinterested in forming JLGs,” they added.
Meanwhile, shortage of other staff also added to the woes. Out of 76 village-level agriculture worker posts sanctioned by the department, 55 posts are vacant. Similarly, out of 16 assistant agriculture officer posts, 10 are vacant. Besides, the post of chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) has been lying vacant for a year. This has led to non-formation of JLGs under this scheme. Contacted, in-charge CDAO Naba Kishore Mohapatra said krushak sathis were disinterested in forming JLGs since they were not getting incentives regularly.