CANACONA
They were assured zero investment and huge returns, but 20 beneficiaries of the government’s Polyhouse scheme in Canacona taluka have ended up with virtually zero returns and huge debts.
Squarely blaming an officer of then agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar for the failure of Polyhouses in Canacona, a group of aggrieved Polyhouse owners in Canacona have petitioned Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai for a probe into the implementation and execution of the scheme, after they received no subsidies at all.
There are about 20 orchid polyhouses already set up in Canacona taluka, from the 40-odd allotment letters given by the agriculture department about four years ago.
Each of the polyhouse is reportedly priced at around Rs 80 lakh, where the government provided subsidies of up to Rs 70 lakh each, through finances of a bank.
According to Polyhouse owners, the orchid production is meagre, returns are poor and no effort has been made to suitably market the few orchids produced.
During an interaction with Sardesai at Canacona on Tuesday, some farmers who had availed the government scheme on Polyhouse demanded a thorough investigation into the scheme.
They have also sought a probe on the role played by an officer of then agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar, now posted as a senior official in a government department.
“This officer gave us false assurances that farmers did not have to pay a single paisa and that, the returns would be very high. He convinces us to opt for this scheme,” said Suraj Naikgaunkar one of the polyhouse owners.
“On the contrary, we have been receiving bank notices and they have almost declared us defaulters and we may have to contest them in courts now. Our efforts to approach the bank who disbursed loans meant for us to the contractor has so far been uncooperative.”
“We are trying desperately to seek the help of that officer, but he refuses to talk or even attend to our calls. Even our meetings with bank representatives or the contractor have failed to bring us out of this huge debt trap,” Naikgaunkar added.
When Sardesai sought to know how Tawadkar’s former officer was to be blamed, the aggrieved polyhouse owners claimed he had trapped them then by explaining and convincing them to availing the scheme.
They also claimed that the contractor and the bank disbursing loans to them without their request also needs to be investigated.
