Purushottam Patra, Gariaband. Many schemes of the State and Central Government are being run in the Fisheries Department to promote rural fish farmers, but due to lack of information, the fish farmers are not getting the full benefit of it or they are being cheated. The matter came to light through documents extracted from RTI. Information about the expenditure incurred on the scheme in the financial year 2023-24 was extracted by activist Mohammad Latif.
According to the document, in this financial year, it has been claimed to provide improved quality fish seeds worth Rs 10 lakh 10450 to 168 tribal and non-tribal fish farmers of the district on the basis of 50 percent subsidy. The record also contained the names of 20 beneficiaries from Koyba village of Mainpur block, upon meeting whom the farmers told that they would pay cash instead of subsidy and bring seeds.
Aadhaar card was taken from the account on the pretext of returning the money.
To know the truth of the matter, we met Shriram Netam, Lambar Singh, Kunwar Singh, Chhattar Singh, Ashiq Manjhi among the farmers named in the records. Everyone expressed ignorance of any kind of plan. People said that last year the employees of the fish department contacted them, they were promised to get high quality fish seeds at a cheap price, at his request everyone hired a pickup and reached Gariaband Fish Depot. Rs 4,4000 was taken from everyone. When they went, the quantity of fish given to them seemed more expensive than the market price. Farmers said that all the people who were given fish seeds. The people of the department had asked for a copy of the Aadhaar card from everyone and promised that the money would be deposited in their account as soon as the funds arrived. The matter is said to be of September 2023.
The fish was not even suitable for lease
He had already realized that he had been cheated when he was told that the seed money would be credited to his account and it did not. Farmers went to that pond of Koiba with the team of Lalluram.com. Where fish seed was put a year ago. When the fish were taken out by throwing a fish net in the pond, no fish weighing 50 grams was found in it, whereas the department had claimed that it would weigh one to two kilos in 6 months.
Complaint made to Divisional Commissioner
After matching the claims made in the records, the RTI activist has filed a written complaint with the Raipur Division Commissioner, accusing the Fisheries Department of huge irregularities in the implementation of the scheme. Complainant Mohammad Latif said that in the last financial year, fish nets worth Rs 26 lakh and ice boxes worth more than Rs 15 lakh were purchased, but the department did not provide information about which beneficiaries it was given to. Latif alleged that like the subsidy scheme, there have been huge irregularities in the distribution of nets and ice boxes. Every year, the department not only distributes fish but also pays lakhs of rupees by claiming to purchase seeds from many small fish seed farmers of the district. When the entire expenditure was investigated, many shocking revelations were made.
Everyone whose name is in the record got seeds on subsidy
In this case, Deputy Director of Fisheries Department, Alok Vashishtha has completely rejected the allegations. He said that seeds have been provided in subsidy to all those whose names are in the records. The money taken from them is only half of the cool price of the given quantity. There is a shortage of staff in the entire district, it is not possible to reach out to every farmer in every block and tell each and every thing. Net and box distribution is done to farmers only in camps or special events.