Loss of Rs. 50 lakhs to State Exchequer due to mismanagement of only one Cold Storage located at Nimapara of Puri district, Odisha by the Govt., exposed through RTI
Last Year ( 2014), the farmers of Nimapara area of Puri district had lodged complaint to District Collector and filed FIR in local Police station against the lease holder of Cold Storage located at Nimapara which is under control of M/s Nimapara Multi-Commodities Storage and Marketing Co-operative Society Ltd. The allegation was that the Lease Holder had sold all the potato kept in cold storage by the farmers. The farmers came to know about it when they had gone to lift potato from cold storage. The approximate cost of the potato as mentioned in the FIR was more than five lakh rupees. Though the farmers organised rally, demonstration, Dharana to get their potato returned back, the Govt. precariously failed to deliver potato and pay compensation to the farmers till today.
To find out the details of information about management of Cold Storage by the Society, RTI Application was submitted to the PIO, Dept. of Cooperation, Govt. of Odisha on 7.3.15. After five months, the information was supplied by the Secretary, office of M/s Nimapara Multi-Commodities Storage and Marketing Co-operative Society Ltd, Nimapara which is as follows.
A. For the management of Cold Storage, the Nimapara Multi-Commodities Storage and Marketing Co-operative Society Ltd. ( LESSOR) entered lease agreement with M/S Seashore Agricultural Promotion Company ( LESSEE) on 25.3.11 for a period of 2 consecutive operational seasons ending in the month of November 2012. The lessee will pay a sum of Rs. 1, 75,000/- as monthly lease rent payable each month. Failure to pay the monthly lease amount by the stipulated date, the lessee shall pay penalty @ Rs. 100.00 per each day of default in addition to monthly lease amount. But the Seashore Company violated lease agreement and did not pay the monthly rent. An outstanding amount of Rs. 28, 75,000.00 is yet to be recovered from Seashore Company Ltd.
B. After cancelling lease agreement with the Seashore Company, the Nimapara society ( LESSOR) entered into another lease agreement with Sri Harish Chandra Prusty( LESSEE) , at-Beherasahi, Near Nayak Plaza, Puri , Odisha on 8.3.13 for management of cold storage on lease on a monthly rent of Rs. 1,05,000/- for a period of 2 consecutive operational seasons ending in the month of Nov. 2014. Sri Harish Prusty did not pay monthly rent which caused a loss of Rs. 33,05,610.00 from state exchequer. Without paying any rent, he sold the potato of the Farmers kept in cold storage. Till yet, the State Govt. has neither recovered Monthly rent outstanding amount of Rs. 33,05,610.00 nor the potato from him. The poor farmers are still suffering without getting their potato or the compensation against it. Now the Society has cancelled his lease agreement.
C. Presently, the Nimapara Multi-Commodities Storage and Marketing Co-operative Society has entered into new lease agreement with Sri Bishnu Charan Baral ( LESSEE) , At-Badagaon, Post- Ohala, PS- Nimapara, Dist-Puri for management of cold storage on lease on a monthly basis rent of Rs. 1,11,111.00 for a period of two calendar years from 4.3.2015 to 3.3.2017. Sri Baral has already paid Rs. 5,55,555.00 towards monthly rent.
Remarks:
Due to mismanagement of Cold storage and non-payment of monthly rent by the lease holders, the farmers could not get any benefit nor their materials protected properly. This is one of the reasons for which the farmers are found not interested for agriculture. This is general phenomena across the state.
Due to mismanagement of Cold storage and non-payment of monthly rent by the lease holders, the farmers could not get any benefit nor their materials protected properly. This is one of the reasons for which the farmers are found not interested for agriculture. This is general phenomena across the state.
Pradip Pradhan, M- 9937843482, Date- 12.09.2015
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