Farmer scheme funds used for ads in 2 districts

Mumbai: While the state government has announced a fresh loan waiver for farmers, it has come to light that most of the funds that were spent from one of its old schemes was spent on publicity. A reply to a Right To Information (RTI) query has said that under the scheme ‘Baliraja Chetna’ implemented in Osmanabad and Yavatmal districts, Rs 39 lakh was spent on publicity related works alone in Osmanabad, Rs 2 lakh by Yavatmal on a tour of Israel and Rs 50 lakh by Yavatmal for flex boards, documentary films, etc.

The two districts are infamous for farmer suicides and hence the government started the scheme for the welfare of farmers on August 24, 2015. RTI activist Jitendra Ghadge sought the information, with the reply revealing how little — of the funds that were under-utilised — of the allocated fund was actually spent on the welfare of the farmers. The two districts get Rs 10 crore each every year for the same.

As per the RTI reply, Yavatmal district received Rs 22 crore under the scheme, out of which Rs 50 lakh was spent on publicity through flex boards, radio, bus stands, documentary, boards on ST buses and advertisements on local cable channels. An additional Rs 85 lakh was spent on prize distribution, various initiatives, publicity through banners, information booklet, office expenditure and salary of employees appointed for the work.

A sum of Rs 2 lakh was spent on a tour of Israel, Rs 1 lakh on an organisation to study the farmers issues and Rs 38 lakh on making a television series of five episodes to create awareness about the farmers’ issues. Another Rs 22 lakh was spent for an honorarium for experts who guided the farmers.

On the welfare part, Rs 15 lakh was given to 15 village-level committees, Rs 84 lakh was spent on conducting mass marriages of daughters of farmers who had committed suicides.

The Osmanabad district has utilised less than 50 per cent of the funds it received: out of the Rs 23 crore it got, only Rs 10 crore has been spent.   

Commenting on the revelation, Mr Ghadge said, “It’s shocking that the fund was used for foreign tour when it was actually meant for helping the farmers in distress.  The same district has rejected Rs 1 lakh compensation to 237 families affected by farmer suicides as they do not meet the criteria.  This information proves that the problem lies with the government machinery, which is supposed to execute these schemes. There seems to be the usual problem of corruption, mismanagement and irregularities.”