PUDUCHERRY : The Puducherry Certified Seed Producers Welfare Association has petitioned the Chief Secretary Chetan B Sanghi, seeking his intervention in the functioning of the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Krishi Vigyan Kendra (PKKVK), a centre to serve farmers, at Iyankuttipalayam.
In a memorandum to the Chief Secretary on Saturday a copy of which was released to the media on Monday, the association president A Ramamurthy said the farmers have been suffering for three years for want of seeds, fertilisers, farm implements and technical support from the PKKVK .
He charged the Kendra with neglecting the farmers, which has resulted in the agricultural activity coming to a standstill.
The 47-acre-land, where the PKKVK produced quality paddy seeds like white ponni, ADT 43, CR1009 and Bapatla for distribution among farmers, was kept idle, Ramamurthy said.
On inquiry, it has been informed that for want of funds to purchase diesel, the field is not being cultivated. PKKVK is not involved in research work to provide quality paddy seeds, though some 15 years ago, several varieties of paddy like PY-1, PY-2, PY-3 , PY-4, PY-5 and PY-6 were developed.
Also, the association head alleged that the KPKVK, without concentrating on programmes for the benefit of farmers, was concentrating on opening retail outlets to sell ornamental plants, which were not produced by PKKVK, but produced in far-off Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and sold in the Union Territory on commission.
Further, he said tractors, water pumps, paddy harvesters were kept idle, without distribution to farmers.
The funds, under the Centrally-sponsored schemes, given to PKKVK were also not reaching the KVK as it had not furnished the utilisation certificates for the amount released earlier, Ramamurthy added.
Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the government of India (GoI) releases funds for setting up greenhouse, shade-net house, but the work was incomplete even after a delay of two years. As a result, no further funds have been released for want of utilisation certificate, he further said.
Similarly under the National Horticulture Mission, `170 lakh was released for bio-control community and tissue control laboratory, but due to utilisation issues, no more funds have been released said Ramamurthy.
The precision-farming too has taken a beating, despite 100 per cent subsidy being provided for setting up drip irrigation facility, he said.
The GoI funds have been diverted to non-agricultural purposes including payment of wages to workers engaged through backdoor employment.