News Brief
FCI To Bypass Arhtiyas In Punjab, Seeks Land Records Of Farmers From State Govt To Enable Direct MSP Transfer
Swarajya Staff
Mar 06, 2021, 10:59 AM | Updated 11:00 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
In a bid to enable directl transfer payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the bank accounts of the farmers, the Food Corporation of India (FCI)'s Punjab office has sought land records of farmers from the state government.
The FCI intends to make direct online payment of MSP to farmers from the upcoming Rabi marketing season (RMS) onwards and has therefore written to the state's Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, stating that land records are a must for wheat procurement in RMS 2021-22.
The letter dated 4 March by FCI's Noida based Zonal Office (N) has asked for the land records to be updated on the Annaj Khardi Portal before the commencement of the RMS 2021-22 to avoid complications, reports Indian Express.
"It is requested to share data of land records and convey to the office where to find it so that FCI shall verify land records of farmers during RMS 2021-22 with regard to FCI’s own purchase," the letter was quoted in the report.
It should be noted that at present, the payments made by the government are received by commission agents (arhatiyas) in their bank accounts, which, they, thereafter pay to the farmers. Of the sum paid, 2.5 per cent is taken away by these agents for facilitating the procurment process between the farmers and the government.
This gains significance as the annual total amount of commission paid by the government for procurement of wheat and paddy alone amounts to around Rs 1,400 crore.
The move to directly transfer the payments to the bank accounts of the farmers by bypassing the agents will thus lead to significant savings and also help plug leakages.
The FCI's decision, though, has invited opposition from the Arhtiya Association of Punjab which has already filed a petition in court against it.
Also, the development comes at a time when the government's farm reforms push to achieve doubling of farmers' income has been met with fierce opposition in Punjab.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.