Fact-finding
Report
on
“Collapse
of Sukinda Seeds Production Farm, Jajpur district, Odisha - a testimony of age-old
State Govt. negligence, callousness, apathy and conspiracy destroying
Agriculture and Farming Community”
Introduction
There was
series of news in leading Odia daily newspapers from October to December 2016
highlighting the movement of “Sukinda
Seed Farm labourers’ Union” demanding cancellation of MOU signed among Department of Agriculture and Farmers’
Empowerment, Govt. of Odisha, Odisha State Seeds Corporation, National Seed
Corporation Ltd. for granting permissive possession of 270.38
acres of land within Sukinda Agriculture Farm of Jajpur district to NSC
for pulses seed production programme and
subsequent police action against
women labourers and their leader Sri
Biswanath Patra who is known Human Rights Activist of the
district. Getting sensitised about series of action programme i.e., rally,
dharana, demonstration and gherao in and around Agriculture Farm,
it was thought of to visit
the area to understand the reason
of the opposition of the local labourers
to National Seed Corporation Ltd., their concern about loss of
livelihood and demand to protect the
sanctity of the Farm.
A Four-Member Fact-finding Team of Civil Society Groups had made a visit
to Sukinda Agricultural Farm on 10.1.17.
Prior to visit, the local people, women labourers of Sukinda Seed Farm
Labourers’ Union were informed in
advance about the visit of the Team. The Team members were as follows.
A.
Pradip Pradhan, State Convener, Right to Food Campaign, Odisha
B.
Sri Ashok Mallik, Dalit Activist and State President of NACDOR
C.
Smt. Sanjukta Panigrahi, Woman Activist
D.
Sri Sanjay Sahu, Human Rights
Activist
The Team reached
at 12 noon. The labourers welcomed and escorted the team inside Sukinda Farm.
Women labourers of the Union were seen visibly waiting the Team to interact
with great expectation of solving their
problems. They were seen very distressed
sitting in open field. After a brief
introduction about the purpose of the visit by the team members, Sri Biswanath
patra and their president and Secretary Smt. Khaira Mohanta and Indramani
Mohanta made brief presentation about history of farm and its collapse and
their struggle.
Sukinda Seed
Production Farm under Jajpur district of Odisha
is one of the biggest seed
producing farms in Asian sub-continent. It
spread over 1437 acres of cultivable land. This Farm started functioning from
1948. A good number of agriculture produces like paddy, Mucca, mustard,
brinjal, tomato, groundnut, Biri, Mung, were cultivated and huge quantity of these items were produced,
sold and marketed to other areas. Around
three thousand agriculture labourers were engaged to work in this farm and
earning their livelihood. Huge quantity
of seeds was produced and supplied to different parts of the state. It was also
place for research in agriculture produces. Agriculture scientists and experts
use to visit frequently to this farm.
This farm has name, fame and glory attracting the farmers and experts.
But the negligence and apathetic attitude of
State Govt. officials to this farm started in 1990s. The agriculture farming got deteriorated.
Production decreased and hundreds of acres of land remained fallow. In this
situation, a private organisation
started planting pamolin tree inside the
Farm but got destroyed due to absence of proper care. Then bad to
worse, eucalyptus plantation was undertaken by officials of watershed project
which damaged the farming land. Then, Horticulture Dept. undertook plantation of mango and cashew and other fruit bearing tress which
had very negative impact on agriculture. The Govt. also undertook
plantation under NREGS (National Rural
Employment Guarantee Schemes). Few acres of land of the Farm was also
allotted to IMFA to open private ITI College. Similarly, many of the prime land
of this farm has been encroached by the local influential people.
As the Govt. neglected
the Farm, seed production got reduced and the local
agriculture labourers could not get much
employment. Most part of the land
remained fallow. However presently, few agriculture produces like paddy,
Arahar, groundnut, mustard are being cultivated in the farm spread over around
230 acres of land. Around 500 laboureres
are still working and earning their livelihood.
In 2009, when
the Govt. tried to use machinery in the farm for broadcasting and crop cutting
which replaced the labourers from
agriculture activity, the labourers got organised and protested it under the
banner of “Sukinda Seed Farm labourers’
Union” due to loss of employment. Due to popular movement, the machinery
was withdrawn. Then the farmers demanded minimum wage and creation of provident
Fund for them.
When the
labourers have been demanding revamping agriculture production in the Farm,
on 23.7.16, the State Govt.
entered into an agreement in form
of MOU with National Seed Corporation Ltd. ( a Govt. of
India undertaking ) for granting
permissive possession of 270.38 acres land within agricultural farm, Sukinda. The lease was executed for 15 years
authorising NSC to use land for production
of non-paddy seed like pulses and
oilseeds inside the farm and development
of required infrastructure for said
purpose. The leased land in no case shall be mortgaged/transferred for other
purposes. But later on , the State Govt. wrote
letter dt. 24.9.16 and 6.10.16 to
Farm Superintendent, Sukinda to
hand over total no. 303.85 acres of
land to NSC Ltd. On 20.10.16, the Farm Superintendent handed over the land to
National Seed Corporation.
NSC hired a contractor farm named Gobinda Engineering of Jharkahnd
state to carry out all the programme and engaged a number of tractors and huge machinery to start cultivation which replaced labourers. Women labourers were also not allowed
to do any work in the farm. As NSC will
undertake non-paddy activity, the women labourers who have been working in the farm
apprehended of losing the employment. When
the labourers were not allowed, they started opposing NSC and did not allow
them to operate in the farm. Since then,
the labourers under banner of Sukinda Seed Farm labourers’ Union have
been organising series of movements against NSC and restoration of their employment which is the only source of
livelihood. This area as follows.
A.
ON 9.8.16, a memorandum was submitted
to BDO, Sukinda for cancellation of MOU
with National Seed Corporation.
B.
On 20.8.16, Mass demonstration
was organised at lower PMG, Bhubaneswar and memorandum was submitted to
Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment for cancellation of MOU with National Seed
Corporation Ltd. and restoration of livelihood by revamping the
farm. The Minister assured the leaders to look into the matter.
C.
Finding no response from Govt.,
on 24.9.16, the leaders of the Union led
by Sri Biswanath Patra met Chief Secretary, Odisha and submitted
memorandum to him seeking his
intervention for cancellation of agreement with NSC and restoration of farm.
D.
While movement was going on,
the NSC tried to start the work by using tractors and forcibly entering into farm with help of
police force. The labourers opposed and blocked the road in front of farm. Then, on 9.10.16, BDO intervened and called
the meeting of NSC representatives and leaders of labourers for discussion to
bring out solution. The meeting yielded
no result. Sri Pradeep Patnaik, Regional Manager, NSC Ltd. assured to stop the work till the grievances of the labourers are
addressed.
E.
But NSC with help of police
started to resume the work and did not allow the labourers to do the work. Enraged labourers again opposed and blocked N.H.53 road. On the spot the Tahasildar, Sukinda and
Inspector of Police, Sukinda reached and negotiated with labourers to bring
solution. It was agreeded that NSC will
allow the labourers to do the work in the farm without engaging new labourers.
F.
But after 6 days, NSC again
engaged labourers of outside area and did not allow these labourers. The hundreds of labourers again organised
road blockade and sat-in-Dharana in front of office of Sub-collector, Kalinga
Nagar demanding employment in the farm.
Dharana was withdrawn after assurance given by the Sub-Collector.
Despite
several protest and dharana by the
labourers, the authority of National Seed Corporation is determined not to allow the women labourers to do the
work. The livelihood of thousands of the
families have been affected, as the labourers are provided
any work in the farm.
Keeping it in
view, the team recommends to the State Govt.
in Department of Agriculture and
farmers’ empowerment to take the
following steps to provide livelihood to
women labourers.
A.
National Seed Corporation Ltd.,
New Delhi should be directed to engage women labourers in the farm for
production of non-paddy seeds as per MOU. There should be tripartite
agreement between labour Union, State Govt. and NSC to ensure
job security of women labourers in the
farm.
B.
If this arrangement is not possible, the State Govt. should allot
few quantity of land to the
Union to undertake paddy and on-paddy cultivation on cooperative basis. The Govt. will provide them technical and
financial support for it.
C.
In view of huge quantity of land being encroached by some influential people, the land of the
Farm should be demarcated and
brought to Govt. fold.
Report prepared by
Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843482
Email-foodrightsodisha@gmail.com
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