Bhubaneswar, July 10: The state government had started a detailed exercise to bring in legislation to recognize and identify sharecroppers nearly one and a half-year back. But, the government has failed to come out with any conclusion so far. This has deprived the sharecroppers from claiming any benefits from the government.
At present, the sharecroppers in the state have difficulty selling their paddy to the government as the process requires the official approval of local sarpanch without which they cannot obtain benefits like crop loan from banks and cooperative societies, input subsidy and relief assistance among other things. Consequently, the sharecroppers are being exploited by local money lenders.
It is also being alleged that the loopholes in the policy of state government is forcing the farmers to commit suicide.
In January 2016, the state had decided to bring in new legislation to benefit sharecroppers in view of rising farmer suicide cases. The then revenue and disaster management minister Bijayshree Routray had claimed that the legislation would come up in the next Assembly session. Although four assembly sessions have come and gone, the draft bill is yet to be tabled in the House.
The government had also constituted an inter-ministerial committee headed by revenue minister. The other members of the panel are ministers of agriculture, cooperation, SC, ST development, panchayati raj and law departments.
The ministerial panel has also met four times but failed to come out with any positive conclusion. The panel has also failed to decide whether to draft a new bill or to amend the existing Orissa Land Reforms Act, 1965.
The last meeting of the committee held June 1 constituted another panel of bureaucrats to make necessary suggestions to the ministerial panel.
“In order to divert the attention of the people from the farmers’ suicide incidents, the government has enacted the drama. But, they will not help farmers or sharecroppers in any way,” said Akshay Kumar, a leader of farmers.
If the government had any concern for the farmers, it could have done something last year, he said, adding, “Whenever there is an agitation or issue related to problems of the farmers, they will show up and say they are doing something.”
However, Cooperation Minister Surya Narayan Patro said the government has always been working for the farmers and it would continue to do so. “We will ensure that genuine farmers will get all the benefits provided by the state government. We will procure paddy, provide input subsidy, insurance and other benefits to the sharecroppers,” said Patro, who is also a member of the inter-ministerial panel. PNN
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