Jhumpura: The lofty aim of promoting production of silk in Badaneuli panchayat under this block in Keonjhar district has hit a bump with allegations of large scale irregularities in plantation of Arjun saplings.
Arjun is one of the tree species whose leaves are fed on by a moth which produces the tassar silk, which has commercial significance.
It is alleged that while plantation has been taken up, necessary provisions for water, fertilisers and post-plantation care have not been made for survival of the saplings which have also not been planted in order. The forest, horticulture and sericulture departments are executing the project.
Such plantation is important for scores of people doing silk farming since ages.
The villagers of Panapasi and Sananeuli have apprised the Collector and the departments about the negligence and carelessness, but to no avail.
Sources said that 56,000 Arjun saplings were planted in 30 hectares of land in both the villages at a cost of over Rs 37 lakh.
The villagers say no information is available about its cost on the project plaque. The cost could be even more, they added.
They added that the gap between two saplings should be at least four to six feet, but it is only about a foot while fertilisers, pesticides and water are not applied rightly. Besides, pits have not been dug. Just a year has passed since the plantation, but thousands of trees have already wilted while those that have survived face onslaught from pests. There are laid down guidelines for digging trenches for retaining rainwater, but these have also been ignored.
As the project is labour-intensive, job card holders were supposed to have been engaged in it, but that has not been done. Instead, fake muster rolls in the names of the elderly and ailing persons have been prepared to embezzle funds, villagers alleged.
“For the last 20 years, silk farming has stopped,” said Sujan Munda.
Zilla Parishad members Bijaylaxmi Mohant and Anubrata Behera said that they would raise the irregularities at the ZP meeting.
When asked about the irregularities, sericulture officer Sadananda Behera said that trenches were not dug and some trees have died, but medicines will be applied.
Similar was the statement of Laxman Munda, the deputy director of sericulture department at Keonjhar.
PNN
