Paradip, Jan. 25: Rupee-one-a-kg rice under the Rice for Olive Ridley Conservation (RORC) programme still eludes more than 6,000 traditional fishermen at the coastal villages of Kendrapara district and some areas near Paradip.

The programme has benefited fishermen in Ganjam, Puri and Bhadrak districts. However, it is yet to cover the families, worst hit by the scheme.

Sea fishing has been banned since November 1 last along a 20-km stretch of the Paradip-Dhamra coastline. The economy of fishing villages in Rajnagar, Mahakalpada and Paradip areas has taken a severe beating following the prohibition on sea fishing from November 1 to May 31.

Depleting livelihood stakes had triggered human resource exodus from these villages and this had led the government to launch the RORC in these villages.

A total of 6,255 fishing families of the seaside villages in Kendrapara and Paradip were identified and the RORC cards have been distributed to them.

Due to several factors, the scheme has failed to make headway in Kendrapara and Paradip, said Paradip marine fisheries officer Ranjit Keshari Dash.

The rice distribution process has failed to begin following reports of discrepancies in the enumerated list of beneficiaries. The department is in receipt of bogus beneficiaries while there are complaints of genuine fishermen families being left out from the scheme benefits.

“Local BJD politicians have put in several beneficiaries who have nothing do with sea fishing in the list. According to estimate, there are more that 1,500 fake beneficiaries in the list,” said Tushar Kanta Sardar, president of the district marine fishermen’s association.