Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
Now the farmers, if they want to avail any kind of subsidy on fertilizers, farm machinery or incentives under the PM Kisan Yojana,they must get their digital ID.
“The centre government has launched this project that all the farmers must get their digital ID to avail all kinds of the subsidies.It aims to ensure that the subsidy goes to the beneficiaries only. For example, Urea may be used for some other purposes as well, but it is highly subsidised by the government,” said Dr Kulwant Singh,CAO Faridkot.
“But the farmers can buy as much as fertilizer they need.There is no provision of any capping. The project was in the pipeline for some time, but the farmers were reluctant to come forwards, apprehending that there may be some caps and controls over them,” said Kulwant Singh.
The farmer may get his ID created by going to any CSC along with his mobile phone which is attached to the Aadhaar card free of cost.
The land record of the farmers is already online and they are getting the payments of their crops into their accounts.
Now, the next installment of Rs 2000 under PM Kisan Sa nman would only be remitted to the accounts of the farmers whose digital ID is created.
“We are still apprehensive that that government `of India would continue to go back step from the subsidy in years to come.On the other hand, if the farmers have to buy the fertilizers etc on the non subsidised rates, they would not be able to do it.The cost of urea,45 kg bag, is between Rs 2000 and 2300.So is about DAP which is available for Rs 1350 per 50 Kg bag but there is government subsidy of about Rs 1300-1400 per bag,’ said a farmer.
However, the situation would get clear in the years to come.
The fertilizers,including Urea and DAP, is the only commodity which is fully controlled by the government and no price rise has been allowed.It has also resulted in the alleged shortage of DAP mainly .
Though the IFFCO had launched its nano urea and nano DAP with much fanfare years back, yet it was(nano urea) was not recommended by the state agriculture university and was rejected by the farmers though it was forcibly tagged to the farmers in the past years.