Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
Email:raghbirsinghbrar@gmail.com
District administration must ensure that all the groups/societies of the farmers must display that they are running CHC and these agricultural appliances are available with them for hiring.
The state government has been providing subsidies for in –situ(a Latin word, meaning in the original place) purchasing agricultural appliances/tools for crop residue management(CRM) for years now.
The government provides a 50 per cent subsidy to the individuals who purchase such machinery as Paddy-balers,Super seeders,smart seeders, mulchers and many others.
Going further, the state government provides upto 80 per cent subsidy to the cooperative societies and groups of the farmers who come forwards to buy such machinery under IN-Situ management of the stubble.
Such groups, to avail 80 per cent subsidy, are allegedly formed on paper to complete the formalities.
“If one farmer wants to avail the 80 per cent subsidy, he contacts his friend circle and also involves some reserved category member and completes all the formalities borrowing their doccuments.In fact, only one farmer purchases all the machinery and maintains it with him. He allegedly aims to usurp 80 percent subsidy ,” claimed a source.
But such farmers, who, as per the rule, run custom hiring centres(CHC) pass it as if they own all the machinery. They allegedly do not show it or communicate with the farmers that they can hire it too.
This is a serious flaw in the scheme as it leaves many farmers out of the reach of hiring such machinery.
As far as cooperative societies are concerned, it is right with them,but wrong with the individual usurpers.
Faridkot has 2350 such machines including paddy stubble balers,smart seeders,super seeders,mulchers and others.
As per the rules, the farmers who avail 80 per cent subsidy are bound to give the machinery to other farmers under custom hiring system.
The are also required to display at the gate etc where they keep the machinery that they have the custom hiring centre.(CHC)
When contacted, Kulwant Singh, chief agriculture officer Faridkot said,”The farmers who purchase subsidized machinery under the societies or groups availing 80 per subsidy are bound to let it to the others under custom hiring system.They are also supposed to write that they are running CHC at the place where they keep this machinery.But sometimes they may not care to do it.”
“We ensure by providing lists through cooperative societies etc that those farmers have CHC and others can hire required machinery from those,” he said.
“We have 2350 such machines to dispose of paddy stubble in the fields without burning it and provide all assistance to bring down stubble burning incidents to zero,” said CAO Farikdot.
DC Faridkot,Punamdeep Kaur has held two meetings with all stakeholders to bring down stubble burning incidents to zero.
