District administration’s campaign against fake rice sales achieves significant success. Led by Collector Deepak Agrawal’s team under SDM Arpita Pathak’s leadership, the three-day initiative resulted in the voluntary surrender of 1444 acres by 547 farmers. The team diligently contacted registered farmers engaged in rice transactions from Saturday to Monday, reaching households with the list of registered cultivators involved in revenue collection. In Jhiripani, Jhakharpara, and Khokhsara centers, 396 farmers from the registered list surrendered 832 acres, suspected of bogus rice trading, potentially costing the government INR 5.27 crores.
The team verified tokens and discovered over 100 farmers who had obtained tokens to sell rice by January 18 but failed to produce their yield. Some farmers, despite having no produce in their fields, were involved in rice-related activities. Encouraged by Amala, these farmers willingly contributed their land for surrender. SDM emphasized that this ongoing process would continue.
Meanwhile, the crackdown on vehicles involved in transporting rice from Odisha continues. Amidst this, the surrender campaign proves instrumental in halting fake purchases, witnessing a substantial surrender of land for the first time in a large number. Out of the 15 purchasing centers in the sub-divisional area, 12 centers have initiated procurement. The team maintained consistent communication with non-producing landowners, uncovering 832 acres where 16,985 quintals of rice were sold. This translates to a potential payment of INR 5.27 crores at the rate of INR 3100 per quintal set by the government.
After the rice is harvested, farmers register the rice-selling land in the tehsil’s ID. If, for any valid reasons, rice is not sold in that land, it is voluntarily surrendered with the farmer’s consent. The surrendered land is only valid for the current season, and farmers can register anew for the upcoming season. The dedication of the administration and the cooperation of the farmers mark a significant step in curbing fraudulent rice sales, ensuring transparency in the agricultural sector.
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