MALDA, 8 JAN: The agriculture department authority in Malda is apparently reluctant to take responsibility of compensating poor farmers of the district victimised by spurious seeds sold by a seller licensed by the state agriculture department.
On the contrary, the agriculture department authority has asked the farmers to move court with their grievance or squeeze out compensation from the licensed seed seller on their own. Having suffered incalculable financial loss already, the hard hit farmers are a confused lot.
Alleging that the licensed seed seller in question Mr Achinta Sarkar of Gazole and his agents had sold them spurious paddy seeds six months ago, the farmers under the banner of “Pashchim Banga Krishak Samiti” had demonstrated at the Gazole agriculture development office yesterday demanding compensation.
Speaking on the compensation issue, the deputy director, agriculture department in Malda, Mr Satinath Palit, said: “The farmers will have to demand compensation from the seed seller and the only way to press for damage charges is through the consumers’ court. The department cannot compensate them.”
It may be noted that based on a complaint lodged by the aggrieved farmers on 24 December on the subject, the agriculture development officer at Gazole Mr Tushar Kanti Roy had instructed the authorised seed seller Mr Achinta Sarkar to stop sale of seeds for 21 days and keep his shop closed.
Meanwhile the CPI-Ml (Liberation), which is backing the farmers have demanded cancellation of the seed seller's license.
“The matter is being investigated. I cannot at this point say whether the seed seller's license would be cancelled or not without going through the inquiry report.
“The department will take action against the licensed seed seller on the merit of the inquiry report,” the deputy director Mr Satinath Palit said. The Gazole ADO Mr Roy is investigating the matter and would send the report to the deputy director, it is learnt.
The agriculture department authority's advising the farmers to move court for compensation has come as a surprise to many.
It has also given rise to the question whether the department acknowledges the farmers’ grievance or not. If yes, how then is the department suggesting the farmers to move court against the seed seller authorized by the department and not taking the responsibility to compensate them through its offices instead?
Protesting against the agriculture department authority's advice to the farmers, the CPI-ML (Liberation) state committee leader Mr Nabakumar Biswas, said: “The farmers do not have the capacity to move court. They will not go to the court. Instead, they would launch a movement to earn their right.” SNS
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