E-Paper
Stubble burning: Punjab caps subsidy for CHCs to ₹3.6 lakh
Cooperative societies are provided `subsidy for purchase of crop residue management (CRM) machinery to control stubble burning in Punjab.
The state government has capped the subsidy for Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) to ₹3.61 lakh with the purpose of catering to a larger population, say officials. Cooperative societies are provided `subsidy for purchase of crop residue management (CRM) machinery to control stubble burning in Punjab.
In a notification issued by director agriculture department, Sutantar Airi, all applicants for CHCs may be allowed to purchase at least three CRM equipment from among happy seeders, paddy straw choppers and mulchers, RMB plough, super SMS and zero till drills, and can get 80% subsidy up to a maximum amount of ₹3.61 lakhs with a project cost of ₹4.51 lakh.
According to Centre’s guidelines, the co-operative societies of farmers, self help groups, registered farmers societies and groups can get 80% subsidy on the CHC project cost up to ₹10 lakh.
“This is being implemented to cater to more villages and groups which can hire machinery to small and marginal farmers at nominal rents. The project cost was decreased to cover a larger population and with this 5,376 applicants can avail subsidy to setup CHCs which will further benefit farmers,” said director agriculture department, Sutantar Airi.
“By providing subsidy to small groups the utility of machinery would increase. We are no providing subsidy on rotavators as they have not been found beneficial due to Punjab’s soil structure,” he said.
Project director agriculture technology management agency (ATMA), Faridkot, Amandeep Keshav said that last year, a subsidy was provided for purchase of crop residue management machinery to 423 individuals and 57 CHCs, while this year, they have received more than 300 applications for CHCs.
