Cuttack: Action has been sought against the alleged corruption that has taken place in the co-operative society in Ostia under the Banki central Co-operative Bank in Cuttack district of Odisha.
A massive corruption has been alleged in the Ostia Primary Credit Service Co-operative Society. While the PACS secretary has been expelled for allegedly looting Rs 40 lakh the farmers have demanded his arrest.
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies exist for the benefit of farmers. But Ostia Primary Service Co-operative Society under Saranda Branch in Cuttack District is allegedly sacrificing the interests of the farmers. Keeping the farmers in the dark, the PACS secretary along with the management council members allegedly looted Rs 40 lakhs from the savings accounts of the farmers.
In the financial year 2021-22, the secretary allegedly committed corruption to swindle benefit of the farmers that they should get under the Prime Minister crop insurance.
The secretary’s efforts was to get the crop insurance money that was due to the damage to the Kharif paddy crop. In 2020, the farmers of Ostia PACS complained to the ARCS that there was a corruption of Rs 40 lakhs.
There are more than thousand farmers from Phulbadi village under this PACS. Of these, 700 farmers take loans from the society when needed.
It has been alleged that many of the farmers who have taken loans do not have their own land. They have allegedly taken loan from the society by showing someone else’s land.
It has been alleged that a farmer has taken loan from the society in the name of his dead brother by pressurising the officer bearers to get insurance for crop.
After learning about the scam, the farmers first complained it to the Banki ARCS. As no one listened, they were forced to complain to the Cuttack Deputy Registrar. There too the complaint was suppressed.
Finally, after filing the complaint with the Registrar of State Cooperatives Department, the probe began. As per Banki ARCS’s letter No. 420 dated 20.02.2020 investigation started. But the secy did not cooperated.
Hence, Banki ARCS directed the chairman of the society vide letter no. 1130 of Dt 30/09/2022 to take strict action against the secretary.
The chairman ignored the instructions of ARCS. Again the Deputy Registrar of Cuttack vide letter No. 3022 on 26/10/20 directed action against the secretary but no action was taken.
When the river floods, all the farm lands in Ostia panchayat get water logged for long. As a result Kharif paddy crop get completely destroyed.
The corrupt secretary has been sacked following farmer’s complaint. But the farmers are demanding immediate arrest along with the recovery of the looted money from him.
Reportedly, now no documents are found in the society office. No account is available for farmers’ loans and savings.
The cooperative department of the state government has ordered vide letter no. 7288 dated 13.04 2022 for investigation. After receiving this order, the Banki ARCS has directed the Cooperative Bank not to pay the crop insurance money of the farmers who have insured showing forged lands.
The suspended Samiti secretary Srinivas Sahu has said that he did not commit corruption. On the other hand, the current president of the committee, Bharat Behera, said that action has been taken as per the law.
There is a suspicion that whether the cooperative bank is not paying the crop insurance money of the farmers of Ostia Primary Service Credit Cooperative society to the farmers or it is being paid on the instructions of the president under the table.
The farmers have demanded action against the farmers who are trying to get crop insurance by showing fake lands and the bank employees who are involved in the scam.
Report: Purna Chandra Sahu, Banki, Kalinga TV
Ms Kalinga