Farm Unions Oppose Web Portal Registration Requirement to get DSR Incentives
Representational Image. Image Courtesy: The Indian Express
The requirement for web portal registration to avail Rs 1,500 for direct paddy sowing in Punjab has been opposed by leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC-Punjab). They claimed that as farmers are not tech-savvy, it will be a significant inconvenience, limiting their chances of getting Rs 1,500 from the government.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, state general secretary, KMSC, said, "The government should adopt some easy mechanism to award Rs 1,500 to those farmers who adopted the DSR technique. We oppose the move of the government, and they have to withdraw the condition of registration on the portal."
Earlier, the state government had launched a direct seeding of rice (DSR) portal for farmers to agree to their land being sown with the DSW technology. Announcing the portal on Friday, chief agricultural officer Dr Paramjit Singh had said that the technology would "be instrumental in compiling the entire data about each and every farmer, who has opted for the DSR technique, besides ensuring payment of Rs 1,500/acre after proper verification through this portal to the genuine beneficiaries in a fair and transparent manner."
As per the announcement, the registration on the portal and the subsequent verification is key to receiving the monetary incentive into the farmers' bank accounts.
"This unique portal had been developed and designed by the Mandi Board with the help of the Agriculture Department. With the adoption of this innovative technology, there would be at least 15-20% saving of water, besides helping in effective percolation of water ultimately improving the groundwater level through proper recharging," Singh said.
The measure is also likely to reduce labour costs by nearly Rs 4,000/acre. Singh informed that the DSR was adopted on 3,000 hectares last year, and the government's target for the ongoing season is 66,000 acres. To carry out efficient use of the technology, officials of various departments, including Agriculture, Horticulture, Mandi Board and Water and Soil Conservation, will oversee the DSR operations.
KMSC's objections to the portal are related to the online registration requirement, which the organisation believes would hinder many farmers.
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