Karshika Karma Sena office shut

Thiruvananthapuram: The office of Karshika Karma Sena set up at Peroorkada Krishi Bhavan in the capital city with much fanfare in 2016 has been shut down and shifted to a corner of a storeroom.  The office for KKS was set up at a budget of `50 lakh where apart from using agro machines, farmers could interact with Krishi Bhavan officials.

It was during the previous UDF government that the then agriculture minister K. P. Mohanan laid the foundation stone of the head office of KKS at Kudappanakunnu.

KKS has since been replicated in 205 panchayats across the state. But now the 500 plus square feet office inaugurated by his successor V.S. Sunil Kumar has been given on rent to another agency, and the employees shifted to a portion of a cramped storeroom in the vicinity.

“Now the staffs of KKS have a hard time where they don’t have space to stand or sit. Close to 50 farmers visit the KKS office daily where they share their angst and queries about their farming.  So now they are left to fend for themselves where there is no proper office space at a time at least,” said a department official.

During last May, KKS had run into rough weather when a section of Kudapanakunnu Krishi Bhavan officials channelised funds in their favour. More than 40 labourers had toiled hard at the Mental Health Centre at Oolampara on 75 cents area out of the 36-acre campus to set up vegetable farming there.

Then only `15,000 was issued towards KKS, and the remaining amount of `1.35 lakh was released to Krishi Bhavan officials which led them to channelise funds.  Mr Sunil Kumar said he was not aware of the KKS office being shunted to a corner of a storeroom. “I have not been informed of such a move. It will not happen as KKS has been doing good service to the farmers,” the minister told DC.

Day by day, the service being rendered by the KKS has been coming down.  If earlier there were 125 labourers engaged in providing various farming requirements, it has since come down to 50.