Nayagarh: Funds worth lakhs of rupees allotted for coconut saplings were siphoned off by Horticulture Department officials in Nayagarh district, allege farmers.
Sources said, to make the farmers of the district economically strong, coconut saplings were distributed by the Horticulture Department. With these, the department had given the farmers subsidies also for manure. The aim of this project is when the trees become mature and start yielding coconuts, farmers could sell them and make some extra money.
The farmers were given 175 coconut saplings per hectare and credited Rs 136 per sapling in their bank accounts as subsidy to look after the plants.
It is maintained in the departmental records that over a lakh of saplings have been distributed among the farmers in the district in the last four years. But there is no sight of even a single sapling. This has raised questions about the whole issue.
From the eight blocks in the district, the report of Nayagarh says, “In 2015-16 economic year, the department had distributed 2100 coconut saplings to 28 farmers; in 2016-17, 1050 to 15 farmers; in 2017-18 , 735 to 10 farmers and in 2018-19, 875 to seven farmers.” The departmental records show 4760 coconut trees have been distributed to 60 farmers in these four years.
But according to the farmers, the reality is different. They said the name of one farmer is registered in the departmental records twice. The officials have distributed the saplings to the same farmers in the district and not to all eligible farmers. Due to irregular allotment of subsidiary money, most of the coconut saplings distributed withered away and died.
In the records, officials mentioned that in 2015-16, 140 coconut saplings were given to Nilamani Nayak and in 2016-17, 91 to Jayanti Nayak of Barapalla village under Bhatasahi panchyat in the block. But, in fact, both were given 140 saplings in 2016-17 and the money of the rest 91 saplings was misappropriated by the officials, the duo alleged.
Likewise, in Natugaon, Dilip Kumar Udayabhanu was given 105 coconut saplings, according to records. But Dilip insists that he was given only 35 saplings. Of them, only eight are alive. He said he had no idea about the other 70 plants.
When contacted, Nayagarh Deputy Director of Horticulture Dharinidhar Patro said, as the farmers are not taking care of the coconut trees they are dead.
When he was asked about the discrepancy in the number of saplings mentioned in official records and distributed, he said, sometimes the farmers sell the coconut saplings to other farmers. If this has not happened, I will inspect and take steps accordingly.
However, the farmers demanded a high level inspection for a reality check.
PNN
