Orange pocket area project mired in irregularities

By Rajkumar Bhattarai,Khotang, July 17: Irregularities have been found in the orange pocket area operating in Khotehang Rural Municipality-1, Likuwapokhari.

Irregularities were found in the purchase of orange plants in the pocket area.

Under the Prime Minister Agricultural Modernisation Project for the fiscal year 2022/23, an amount of Rs 1.2 million had been allocated for the orange pocket area in 50 per cent subsidy.

It has been found that the bill for the purchase of plants for the orange pocket area conducted by the local Sayapatri Farmers' Group has been increased.

It was found that the account was closed by making a bill of Rs. 100 per plant though they were purchased at the rate of Rs. 35.

The consumer committee purchased 4,500 plants from Diprung Chuichumba Rural Municipality-1, Yamkha and distributed them to the farmers.

By making a bill at the rate of Rs. 100 per plant, the committee has already completed the programme. But it has been revealed that orange plants were purchased from Yamkha-based Rajendra Rai's agricultural firm at the rate of Rs. 35.

Farmer Bishok Rai submitted a petition to the ward office after knowing that there was an irregularity in the procurement of orange plants.

After receiving the petition, a discussion was also held at the ward office on Thursday (July 13, 2023) in the presence of ward chairman Dhana Bahadur Maharaji Khadka, ward members, representatives of political parties of the ward, officials of the Orange Pocket Area Consumer Committee and farmers.

The discussion confirmed that there were irregularities in the purchase of orange plants.

Around Rs. 292,500 was found to have been misused at the rate of additional Rs. 65 per plant in the purchase bill.

The Ward Office said that it was agreed in the discussion that the money would be re-spent in the Orange Pocket area. But there is no mention of how to spend it.

A 5-day training was organised for the farmers in the month of Jestha to start the orange pocket area programme. Local Bishok Rai, who participated in the same training, said that after the consumer committee completed the training in three days even though it was a 5-day training, he became suspicious of the programme.

"After being called for five-day training, we all went, but the training was over in three days. And we were made to sign the date of completion of the training without specifying the date. I did not agree to sign without setting a date, then the date was set.''

Bishok said, "Since then, I had suspicion about the programme. I said that it should be discussed in a public hearing about how it will be spent, but without a public hearing, the bill was settled by the ward and the programme has been closed."

When asked why they did not hold a public hearing of the programme, Rai said that the Secretary of the Consumer Committee Tilak Maharaji replied that they did not know that they had to do so.

After that, when Rai asked the secretary Maharaji, he was told that they bought the plant for Rs. 100 per plant.

"When asked to Rajendra Rai of Yamkha, who sells plants, he said that they sold each plant at Rs 35. Rai said that he submitted an application to the ward office after that," said Bishok Rai.

Sitaram Maharaji, who is also the office assistant of Bina Secondary School in Likuwapokhari, is the chairman of Orange Pocket Area Consumer Committee.

Admitting that the bill for the purchase of plants has been inflated, he said that the amount was with the committee and would be spent in the orange pocket area.