Ludhiana | Block agri officers’ numbers made public to assist farmers in adopting DSR technique

Appealing the farmers to use the DSR technique, chief agriculture officer, Ludhiana, Narinder Singh Benipal said ₹1,500 per acre was being given to each farmer who adopts the cost-effective and environment-friendly DSR technique

The department of agriculture has made available the phone numbers of the 11 block agriculture offices (BAO) to assist the farmers, who have adopted direct sowing method for raising paddy crop, in filling out the online forms to receive an assistance of ₹1,500.

Chief agriculture officer, Ludhiana, Narinder Singh Benipal told farmers that DRS method recharges 10–12% of water, and saves 15– 20% of groundwater. Apart from this, the method is labour-saving, and the crop also becomes less susceptible to pests. (HT FILE)

Appealing the farmers to use the DSR technique, chief agriculture officer Narinder Singh Benipal said ₹1,500 per acre was being given to each farmer who adopts the cost-effective and environment-friendly method, adding that to receive the amount, the farmers would have to apply online on the portal of the department— agrimachinerypb.com/home/DSR22— by June 30.

He said the verification of the fields of the farmers who have applied on the portal would be started by the agriculture department teams from June 18, adding that to help in the filling out of online applications, help desks have been set up by the department in all the 11 block agriculture offices of the district.

Benipal informed that the interested farmers will have to carry their Aadhaar card, registered mobile number, bank account proof and khasra/khawat number of land to the help desks.

Benipal said the farmers could contact Rajinderpal Singh Aulakh (98726-65727) and Pradeep Singh Tiwana (94632-68004)for Ludhiana block, Jaswinder Singh (98880-10156) and Dhan Raj (75080-18730)- for Mangat block, Ram Singh Pal (81466-76217) and Harpuneet Kaur (98783-50284) for Doraha block, Nirmal Singh (84370-00631) and Shivinder Singh (92089-00009) for Dehlon block, Rangil Singh (75080-18705), Harjinder Kaur (81464-09587), Dara Singh (88724-11099) and Gagandeep Singh (94785-70198) for Samrala, Jaswinderpal Singh (92161-17204) and Kulwant Singh (84465-60503) for Khanna, Gurdeep Singh (98728-00575) and Raminder Singh (94786-22087), Gurmukh Singh (98761-58208) and Shahab Ahmad (79864-13445) for Jagraon, Prakash Singh (75080-18711), Karamjit Singh (83601-92081), Lakhbir Singh (98760-22022) and Gurjit Kaur (97813-01975) for Pakhowal.

Benipal said direct sowing of paddy recharges 10–12% of water, and saves 15– 20% of groundwater. Apart from this, the method is labour-saving, and the crop also becomes less susceptible to pests.