Subsidy scheme: Two months on, Haryana farmers struggling to get their dues

Sizeable beneficiaries of the scheme, under centrally-sponsored Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), for the purchase of agriculture implements are awaiting the subsidies since May this year.

As per the officials in the state agriculture department, the SMAM scheme was introduced in February this year with the aim of promoting agricultural mechanisation and encouraging farmers to end stubble burning. A total subsidy of ₹34.44 crore for the purchase of 1,588 implements was allocated by the government. 

Farmers, who were selected for the scheme in a lucky draw, had purchased the agriculture implements including tractors, reaper binder, straw baler, paddy transplanter and other implements for the management of crop residue. Now, they are running from pillar to post to get subsidy between ₹1 lakh to ₹7 lakh.  

“After my name was announced in the luck draw, I got the eligibility certificate for subsidy of ₹2 lakh for purchasing a tractor. As this certificate was valid only for 15 days, all farmers were told to purchase implements within two weeks by paying the entire amount. They told us that the subsidy will be disbursed into our accounts after verification,” said an aggrieved farmer Praveen Kumar of Karnal. 

“But for two months, we have been making rounds of the officials at the agricultural department but nobody is ready to listen us,” he said. 

Similarly, another beneficiary Rajesh Kumar of Yamunanagar  said, “I was eligible for the subsidy of ₹2.5 lakh but even after two months of purchasing wheat reaper binder, I have not received anything. I had borrowed the money on higher interest rate for the purchase of the machine within given time to fulfil the conditions.” 

Haryana agriculture development officer Sourabh Arya said: “We have already started the procedure of disbursement of subsidies but in some districts, the payment of subsidies was delayed as the bills were pending with the treasury.” He said the pending payments will be cleared soon.

However, the district level officials claimed that the disbursement of payment was delayed due to pending verification of implements and now the files are with the finance department for clearance.