The cases of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies behaving in a high-handed manner in rice-procurement in Bihar are on rise. Despite the state govt allocating fund for the purpose the PACS Chairman in collusion with the local traders are fleecing the poor farmers.
Their modus operandi is very simple. It is being alleged that the PACS Chairman along with District cooperative bank contrive to delay the process of procurement for a month or two thereby forcing the hand-to-mouth farmers to sell their grain to the local traders at a much lower rate.
Since the break-up of the NDA Alliance in Bihar the state has not yet managed to get a proper Minister of Cooperation. The cooperative affairs are so far being handled by the Chief Minister himself, who is too preoccupied to be able to give the attention the cooperative department deserves.
Farmers and honest members of the primary cooperative societies across the state are in consequence suffering as their grievances are not being adequately addressed.
The rice procurement and payment of arrears to cooperative banks and primary cooperative societies, for example, have suffered on account of the circumstances.
The absence of a proper minister is also responsible for the non-receipt of fund from the Central Government. Crop Insurance money and various other payments are missed out or pending, because there is no whole time minister looking after the Cooperative Department.