Phailin-hit sugarcane growers in Odisha's Ganjam district yet to receive package money

Sugarcane growers in Odisha's Ganjam district have alleged that even two years after cyclone Phailin hit the state, they are yet to get the cash component of the special package announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The chief minister had announced assistance to the tune of Rs 4.28 crore for sugarcane growers in the district that was lashed by the cyclone on October 12, 2013.

The Ganjam district Sugarcane Growers' Association in its general body meeting held in Aska last week urged the Aska Cooperative Sugar Industry Ltd (ACSIL) authorities to immediately disburse the special package.

The cultivators received help in kind - materials like fertilisers and pesticides of around Rs 2.55 crore last year. But Rs 1.73 crore remains to be disbursed in cash. Though the funds have been released by the government to the factory authorities, the latter have not disbursed it as they are still preparing the list of beneficiaries, the growers said.

A delegation which included Aska MLA Debraj Mohanty discussed the demands with the factory management. "We demanded that the factory authorities provide the cash assistance within a week," president of the Association and former MP, D K Panda, who was also part of the delegation, said today.

After Association leaders mounted pressure on the factory authorities to release the funds, they gave the cash to only five farmers on Thursday.

"We are preparing the list of the beneficiaries. The amount will be transferred to their bank accounts", said a senior officer of the factory.

The beneficiaries will get around Rs 6,400 per acre of cultivable area from the government.

Other demands of the Association include increasing sugarcane price to Rs 3,000 per tonne, insuring crops and providing interest to farmers for late payment of dues.