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Saurashtra: Tele frauds preying on farmers

Conmen promise subsidised inputs to grower, especially in Saurashtra, but fail to deliver

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President of Khedut Samaj Gujarat for Rajkot submitting memorandum of demands to a local officer
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Farmers in many districts, especially those from Saurashtra, have complained of telephonic frauds, luring them to buy agriculture inputs at subsidised rates. When the farmers pay full amount, they get low-cost substandard agricultural inputs, but do not get costlier inputs.

According to a farmer leader in Rajkot, at least 50 such cases have come to his notice. He believes that there must be more cases, that have not come to light. An officer in the agriculture department said that the matter will be investigated and due actions will be taken.

Talking to DNA, Chetan Gadhiya, district president of Rajkot for Khedut Samaj, Gujarat said, he has received complains from districts like Banaskantha, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Amreli, Bhavnagar, and other districts. Accordingly, farmers get a phone call, claiming to be from agriculture department or agriculture university, saying that their names have been shortlisted in a subsidy scheme. They are entitled to a box of pesticides, fertilizers, a plastic sheet and a pump for spraying fertilizers, if they pay Rs 1,530. Minimum price of the spray pump is Rs 2,000. An average pump costs Rs 2,500, while other inputs costs Rs 300-500.

"In the first phase, the farmer gets plastic sheet, pesticides and other inputs with the promise that the pump will be delivered in a few days' time. So farmers get lured and pay the sum to the delivery person. However, after making the advanced payment they never get the pump and feel cheated," Gadhiya told DNA.

When contacted, a senior official of Directorate of Agriculture said that the government will investigate the matter if it is brought to them.

"If the data has been misused, it is a serious issue," said the official on condition of anonymity.

It was also found that the quality of other inputs were substandard and not worthy using it. Sanjay Gadhiya, a farmer of Kagod village of Rajkot said that he got a call claiming to be from local agriculture university, but it was actually from a private company.

"We found that the quality of all inputs delivered is extremely poor. The bill displayed that the products were from a Junagadh company. When we went to the said address with a complaint, there was no such company," said Sanjay.

"We have been duped, but we want to expose the scam so that more farmers won't fall in the trap. Chetanbhai is taking up the issue on our behalf," added Sanjay.

HOODWINKED

As per the bill, the products were from a company based in Junagadh. When we went to the said address with a complaint, we found no such company
Sanjay Gadhiya, farmer

COMPLAINTS

  • Complaints also pour in from Banaskantha, Vadodara and other districts
     
  • Agri inputs include pesticides, fertilizers and spray pump by paying Rs 1,500
     
  • Price of average spray pump is Rs 2,500, but is never delivered
  •  
  • The quality of all inputs delivered is extremely poor
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