Bhubaneswar, Dec 30: The Odisha government has announced strict action against farmers found to have registered for Kharif paddy procurement using fake land plots. Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta said such farmers will first be served show-cause notices, and those found guilty after investigation will face firm action.

According to official sources, satellite surveys are currently underway in 41,255 villages across 317 tehsils in the state. As part of the exercise, 26.14 lakh suspected plots are being examined. Ganjam district tops the list, with satellite surveys covering 2.33 lakh suspected plots. Alongside satellite monitoring, officials are also conducting physical field verification.

The administration said farmers who do not possess cultivable land but have registered falsely will be identified through the verification process and proceeded against as per rules.

The issue of fake farmers is not new. In the previous year, a survey had identified around 1.14 lakh fake plots, though no action was taken at that time. This year, however, the government has decided to act decisively against bogus registrations.

The move has triggered political reactions. The BJD has accused the government of trying to avoid paddy procurement by creating excuses and betraying farmers. The Congress, meanwhile, termed the government anti-farmer, alleging it has failed to lift paddy from mandis and is using such measures to divert public attention.

Notably, 19.67 lakh farmers have registered to sell paddy in the current Kharif season. The higher number of registrations compared to last year has raised concerns about a possible increase in fake farmer entries.