Registration of 2,119 ghost farmers blocked

JEYPORE: The district cooperative societies authority has blocked the registration of over 2,100 ghost farmers on finding they had not cultivated in the ensuing rabi season in Koraput. Sources said, over 25,000 hectare (ha) was cultivated by farmers in paddy chunks of Jeypore, Kundra, Kotpad and Borigumma using minor and major irrigation facilities. 

Accordingly, last month, around 19,371 farmers in the district registered their names in nearly 16 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), 15 self-help groups and two pani panchayats. However, going by government instructions to identify ghost farmers in the district and block them before the procurement, the cooperative society authority of Jeypore began a field survey with help of satellites to detect areas of genuine cultivation.

The team with around 103 staff surveyed nearly 10,000 suspected plots in last 15 days and found that around 2,119 ghost farmers had registered uncultivated land for paddy sale. The names were subsequently blocked and the district civil supplies authority informed not to entertain their paddy during the procurement process. 

District civil supplies officer PK Panda said, “We were informed that registration of 2,119 ghost farmers has been blocked and will do needful  during the ensuing paddy procurement.”The administration has planned to open 65 mandis to procure rabi paddy from May 27 in the district.