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| Cashew causes concern |
Cuttack, Jan. 21: The plantation programme to check soil erosion near Chilika lake allegedly has spawned a cashew mafia that runs a monopoly over collection and trading apparently through tribals living in that area.
The mafia reportedly rules the roost on government lands adjoining the lake in Tangi, Banpur and Khurda and “prevents” genuine bidders from participating in auctions. It is also being alleged that they quote higher bids and cause huge losses to the exchequer. The Orissa Forest Development Corporation conducts an auction of forest products every year.
A recent report by the CID-crime branch has also confirmed that at least one group in the area is trying to monopolise collection and trade of cashew in the vicinity of Chilika through rioting, arson and violence.
“An organised group, led by a person claiming to be the president of the Republican Party of India, is responsible for many criminal acts in the area. He is inciting Adivasis by giving them an impression that they have a legal right over the cashew fields and that nobody can take it away from them by floating tenders,” the report says.
Such “acts” are mainly concentrated at Champagarh under Ranpur police station area, Malipada and Tapang-II under Jankia police station and also some places under the Khurda police station, the CID-crime branch sleuths had reported.
Significantly, Orissa High Court had directed the director general of police last week to file an action taken report on the mafia raj. The issue had figured before a single-bench of Justice A.S. Naidu in connection with criminal cases registered at the Banpur police station.
Earlier, the court was satisfied (prima facie) that a group of persons were trying to monopolise cashew nut collection and trade.
“Such groups may be called the cashew mafia and their modus operandi, as it appears, is to frighten the genuine auction bidders and the local people, so that they don’t venture in the cashew auctions or quote higher bids at such events,” Justice Naidu had observed.
