Cong mins step up heat on BJP ahead of latter’s farm protest

Ranchi: Ahead of the opposition BJP’s statewide stir against farmer’s woes on Friday, two senior minister of Hemant government, upped ante against the saffron camp by releasing data on loan waivers to farmers and writing a letter to Centre accusing its agency for not releasing funds in lieu of paddy procurement.
Finance minister Rameshwar Oraon in his letter to Union ministry of Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal sought immediate release of Rs 180 crores pending with Food Corporation of India (FCI) in lieu of paddy procurement from farmers.
Oraon, who also in-charge of the state food, public distribution and consumer affairs department, accused FCI of high-handedness and being apathetic towards the farmers at a time when many are battling financial crisis due to covid-19 pandemic. With onset of monsoon and commencement of kharif season, non-payment of money to farmers is further posing hardships to them, he noted. According to Oraon, state government procured 4.6 lakh metric tons of paddy in 2020-21 season on minimum support price (MSP) for there is a requirement of Rs 943.21 crores to make payments to farmers.
“State has already paid Rs 568.50 crores so far of which FCI only gave Rs 162 in lieu of the stocks it received from the rice mills. Currently, Rs 374.1 crore is pending to farmers in the state of which Rs 180 is due with FCI. Despite numerous reminders and letters, officials here are non-responsive. We have also been receiving several complaints from the field against apathetic attitude of FCI officials towards farmers concerns. It is therefore, requested for your proactive steps to ensure FCI remits the amount soon in the interest of farmers of our state,” Oraon wrote.
Talking to TOI on the other hand, agriculture minister and Jarmundi MLA Badal Patralekh following a review meeting today, said that out of 9,02,603 farmers identified for farm loan waivers, they have already disbursed funds in tune of Rs 980 crore to banks for 2,46,012 farmers.
“The figures are as on date. Despite the covid-19 pandemic, state government is fulfilling its promise of loan waivers up to Rs 50,000. Of about total 9 lakh farmers, Aadhar seeding of 5,51,265 bank accounts are done by the banks. Of this, details of 2,73,265 are already uploaded by the banks and money for 2,46,012 which is in tune of Rs 980 crore is already disbursed,” said Badal, adding that e-KYC of remaining accounts are underway by banking correspondents to release further funds.
“Not only this, of the total target of 44,000 quintals of distribution of kharif seeds to farmers this monsoon, we have already achieved over 68%. Considering the demand, we have placed further order for 6,000 quintals of seeds,” he added, criticizing BJP for doing politics over the farmers issue in the state. “BJP has 12 out of 14 MPs in Jharkhand but hardly anyone has raised voice against FCI, which is a central government agency, for its negligent attitude towards farmers of our state. Unlike BJP, our government speaks on the facts,” he said.
BJP on the other hand has planned to hit farmlands across the state from 8am-11am against state government for pending payments to farmers in lieu of paddy procurement, farm loans among others. Party president Deepak Prakash said, “Maintaining social distancing, BJP workers will hit to farmlands across the state to fight for them against this anti-farmers, anti-poor government.”