E-Paper
State share for Centre’s residue mgmt scheme: Keep ₹140 cr ready, say Punjab agri officials to finance dept
The agriculture department of Punjab has asked the state government to provide ?140 crore as state share for a ?350 crore crop residue management plan during the upcoming paddy harvest. The Centre has asked for a 40% contribution from the state, the first time in six years. Officials have requested that the Centre provide 100% funds for crop residue management this year and the state government contribute 40% from next year. Subsidies of 50% and 80% per machine will be offered to individual farmers and custom hiring centres, respectively.
The agriculture department of Punjab has asked the state government to make an arrangement of ₹140 crore as state share for ₹350 crore outlay for crop residue management during the upcoming paddy harvest in October-November. A proposal in this regard has been sent to the state government.
An alert by the state department has been raised after the Centre asked it to contribute 40% as state share, first time in six years after the Centre-sponsored scheme for in-situ management of paddy stubble was started in 2018.
During the past five years, the Centre sanctioned ₹1,370 crore for crop residue management, without any state share. From 2018 to 2022, the Centre released ₹269 crore, ₹273 crore, ₹272 crore, ₹331 crore and ₹225 crore, say officials.
“This year, the Centre has asked the Punjab finance department to make a contribution, as done in other schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation and other mission schemes for agricultural sector,” said agriculture director Gurvinder Singh, adding that a representation has been sent to the Centre’s agriculture minister to give 100% funds for crop residue management this year and the provision of 40% share by the state government can be made from next year (2024).
In an earlier proposal sent to the Centre’s agriculture ministry, ₹350 crore were also sought. “We plan to give 22,270 machines for in-situ paddy stubble management (mixing paddy stubble into the soil) and 11,870 machines for ex-situ (using stubble balers for fuel in boilers, thermal plants and other industries),” said the official.
According to an official of the agriculture department, an individual farmer will be offered a subsidy of 50% and custom hiring centres in villages will be offered a rebate of 80% per machine.
Punjab Government was rapped last year for failing to control farm fires despite Centre’s support in purchasing machines for in-situ management and running awareness campaigns, which is seen as the main reason for the Centre to make Punjab contribute towards the outlay.
The issue of distribution of subsidised machines was in news after the enforcement directorate pointed flaws in the system. In five years, 1.17 lakh machines have been given to farmers and 11,425 were found untraced last year. However, in an audit conducted by the finance department team, no irregularity was found.
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