Delta farmers seek probe into ATMA scheme scam

Speaking to media persons, PR Pandian, president of Coordination Committee of All farmers Associations, said that the farmers are shocked to hear the seizure of the unaccounted cash of Rs 23.14 lakh from the Office of the Assistant Director of Agriculture, Valangaiman in Tiruvarur.

“The officials misuse more than 60 per cent of the subsidy amount from the ATMA scheme and we have been raising this issue continuously”, Pandian said. He claimed that the agri officials take the seeds, fertilizers and pesticides which are meant for the distribution to the farmers with the subsidised rate and sell them to the dealers and get the entire amount for themselves. “The State government should order for a detailed investigation,” he said.

Stating that the funds released by the Union Government through the ATMA scheme has not been reaching the beneficiaries but misappropriated by the officials, Pandian said, this has been in practice for many years as the committee members to execute these schemes are selected through the political influence that causes the major impact in misappropriation. He urged the state government to re-elect the members and oversee the selection process to ensure non-political persons in the committee which would help the farmers to avail the benefits properly.

On Friday, the DVAC sleuths, based on a credible information about the misappropriation of ATMA scheme funds in the distribution of oil seeds by the Assistant Director (Agri) Balasubramaniam and a few other officials, conducted a raid at the office at Valangaiman in Tiruvaur district and in which the team seized an unaccounted cash of Rs 23.14 lakh from the office.