Punjab govt set to link land record with foodgrain procurement
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is set to integrate land record of farmers with foodgrain procurement from this kharif season. Farmers will get their payment (Minimum Support Price or MSP) for their produce (wheat and paddy) only when revenue record of their agriculture land is linked to the payment system. The Centre has asked the state government to implement the integration for kharif (paddy) procurement scheduled in October and November.
In rabi (wheat) procurement season this year, the state government implemented the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system by transferring crop payment directly into farmers’ bank account. This bypassed the traditional system of routing payment through the arhtiyas (commission agents).
Apprehending trouble from arhtiyas, the state government was reluctant to implement the DBT, but the Centre was firm that the system had to be introduced and executed. State government ministers had even met Union food and civil supplies minister Piyush Goyal, but failed to get relaxation on its implementation.
Principal secretary finance KAP Sinha, who till recently also held the charge of principal secretary, food and civil supplies, said DBT was difficult and more tedious to impellent. “We have been able to implement that successfully. The next step is the integration of land record,” he said, adding that these steps were part of larger reforms in the procurement system.
“It is a tedious process, but we have to implement it,” said a top officer of state food and civil supplies department.
For implementing integration of land, the food department has to involve the revenue department which has details of land record of farmers. During wheat procurement, DBT showed that there were 9.5 lakh farmers in the state. The number, however, is expected to go up during paddy procurement as a greater number of farmers sell their produce to government agencies, unlike wheat, when private companies also make purchases.
The Centre has not yet released the rural development fund (RDF) for wheat procurement that ended in May. The Centre wants Punjab to accept and implement the condition of integration of land record from this year’s paddy procurement season before giving clarity on the release of RDF. The state charges 3% RDF on wheat and paddy procured on the behalf of the Centre. During wheat procurement, the RDF was curtailed to 1%, and the Centre also asked Punjab to justify the higher rate of 3%
A provisional cost-sheet sent to the state by Centre, last week, mentions accrual and other incidental expenses to be made to the state. “The cost sheet does not mention anything on the release of the RDF. The Centre wants Punjab to clear its stand on land record integration,” an officer of the food department said.
With Rs 25,500 crore disbursed to farmers for wheat procurement at MSP this season, the Centre owes Punjab Rs 760 crore as RDF. “It is a substantial amount that will ease the state’s finances. We need it,” Sinha added.