The state government had decided to open one Livestock Aid Centre (LAC) in each panchayat 5 years ago to develop livestock. Fund was also allotted for the same. But the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department Odisha has failed to implement it.

According to the available information, LAC has been opened in 2939 panchayat of the state out of the 6234 panchayat up to 2009. The department tried to open remaining 3295 LAC. But in the financial years 2013-2014, 2014-2015 a single LAC could not been opened. Due to this, information regarding animal diseases is not available to farmers.

In the memorandum of finance department for the year 2011 there was direction to decreased office workers. According to it, no new post will be created in any plan, non-plan, central scheme, or centre sponsored scheme. But 900 LAC have been approved by the department though there is prohibition. Despite of this no service was availed to the Livestock Inspector (LI) from the LAC. In between this the government has created 300 Livestock Inspector posts and yet not given approval for other 600 posts.

The department has not only failed to open LAC but also failed in producing milk in the state. The milk production has decreased to 35% in last 5 years.

The report revealed that, the department has failed to achieve the target to produce milk in last 5 years. The milk production has decreased from 2010-2011 to 2014-2015. In 2010-2011, the milk production target was 1919 thousand metric ton but only 1670 thousand metric ton was produced. That year the milk production was 13 % less while in 2014-2015 it has touched 35%. Last year the target was to produce 2945 thousand metric ton milk but only 1903 thousand metric ton was produced.

The suicide of Nandighosh Barik (55), a farmer of Harbhanga village of Agalpur block in Balangir, who had committed suicide on March 23 due to crop loss, loan burden and disheartening words used by local sub-collector, generated heat both in and outside the Odisha Assembly.

In Odisha Assembly, Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra alleged that on March 18 there was a hailstorm in four villages namely Harbhanga, Mursundi, Semel Munda and Kutasingha under Agalpur block, crops in a total of 169 hectares of land was damaged due to hailstorm. Maximum damages were suffered by paddy, onion, watermelon etc.
The next day, Agalpur tehsildar visited the village and saw the crop loss. But as no step had been taken to provide relief to the affected farmers, the villagers, including the deceased, met the sub-collector and requested him for government assistance.

Instead of being sympathetic, the sub-collector humiliated Nandighosh for undertaking farming in the dry months, Narasingha told the assembly quoting a police complaint of Nandighosh’s brother filed at Loisingha police station.

The Balangir sub-collector, when contacted, said the allegation against him is false. During the grievance redressal on March 21 a group of four to five farmers had come with the complaint that they had suffered crop loss due to untimely hail and rain. “I and other officers present were compassionate while listening to the farmers’ plights. The tehsildar was immediately asked to conduct an inquiry who submitted his report the same day. Unfortunately, one of the farmers ended his life”.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Shri Mishra said the officer has violated the protocol by commenting that the allegation made in the House on the farmer’s suicide is false.

“It is unfortunate that a Government officer dishonoured the Assembly and its members by airing his views which is uncalled for. If the Chair so wants, the Sub-Collector needs to be summoned and reprimanded,” Mishra said.

Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Sub-Collector is behaving in a manner as if he is above law. He demanded that the officer be summoned to the House without any delay. Supporting the issue, senior BJP member and former minister KV Singhdeo said, “We had demanded a reply from the Government, which is required to be submitted within 48 hours, and by now, 24 hours have already passed. Kindly ensure that the reply is given in time.”

Outside the assembly Navanirman Krushak Sangathan staged a demonstration and hundreds of its activists courted arrest demanding pension for peasants, while Opposition Congress demanded arrest of a sub-collector in Balangir holding him responsible for the suicide of a farmer.

Activists scuffled with police near Indira Gandhi Park in front of the state secretariat while they tried to march towards the Assembly. The police were caught unaware after the agitators in smaller groups had tried to march towards the House from several intersections. The situation came under control after senior police officials reached the spot and pacified the agitators.

Check dam projects were initiated in 2010-11 to conserve water from small water sources and use them further for irrigation. Odisha government had target of construction of 15000 projects from 2010 to 2015 but 8090 projects were sanctioned and only 5926 could been completed. This information has been disclosed in the state assembly while presenting CAG report.

According to the report, within five years from 2010 to 2015, the state government had a target of construction of 15000 projects but the Chief Engineer of the Minor Irrigation Division Odisha sanctioned 1318.12 crore for 8090 projects, but the state government allotted 971.53 crore in the budget for the project. In 5 years out of the total sanctioned projects only 5926 could be completed till 2015 and 884.88 crore have been used.

In the year 2010-2011, total 1366 projects were sanctioned but only 417 have been completed.

Similarly, 2011-2012, total 3046 check dam projects were sanctioned but only 1133 check dam projects have been constructed completely.

In 2012-2013 construction of 3000 check dam projects was in target but 1181 projects were sanctioned and total 1848 check dam constructions was complete including old projects.

In the year 2013- 2014 out of the total 2380 sanctioned check dam projects only 913 have been completed.
In 2014 -2015 total 1619 check dam projects could been completed and including this in last 5 years total 5926 check dam projects have been completed out of the total sanctioned 8090 projects.

According to the CAG report many projects are pending incomplete due to dispute in site selection, not getting reply about the tender, less quotation price of the tender, unavailability of technical officer for inspection.
But when CAG inspected a few sites found that, the locals were not involved in selecting the site according to the rules and out of 4050 check dams project Pani Panchayat have not been instituted in 2825 check dams. Further, installation of door in the concrete gap is necessary to preserve the water but at the time of inspection of papers of 8 divisions out of 2825 check dams there were no shutter in 1409 check dams and the objectives of check dam construction has failed and investment of 166.21 crore was wasted. Despite of this, no action was taken against associated executive engineers.