KOTTAYAM: Only Rs 33,35,42,739 has been so far distributed to rubber farmers of the Rs 300 crore announced by the state government in July that was earmarked for farmers to help them cope with dwindling rubber prices.
Sources at rubber production societies say that the inability to upload the details on the website ebt.kerala.gov.in is also hindering the proper functioning of the scheme.
Apart from that the absence of officials to certify and forward it to the finance department, and the lack of rubber production because of the rains is also reportedly creating hurdles in the scheme taking off.
Once the details are uploaded on the website by the respective rubber production societies, the field officers are supposed to verify it and send it to the finance department which is expected to transfer the funds to farmers.
As per the scheme, the farmers will be reimbursed the difference in the support price which was fixed at Rs 150 per kilogram, if they submitted receipts and other details of the rubber they had sold after registering at the concerned rubber societies. Among the 10 lakh rubber farmers in the state, only 2.96 lakhs had so far registered for the scheme.
The applications were received as per the scheme from August 1. The benefit is available to farmers having up to two hectares. Farmers who produced rubber from July 16 were covered.
“Despite persistent attempts on our part, we are not able to upload the details on the website which is hindering the submitting of details”, EP Mathew, president of the Aruvikuzhy rubber production society told Deccan Chronicle.
The price of rubber has plummeted to Rs107 on Thursday from Rs 128 a kilogram on July 4 when the government order announcing support price was released.
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