Chandrapur: Rs 18 crore subsidy for 640 farmers stuck for 10 months

In Chandrapur district, 640 farmers who bought tractors and harvesters under the farm mechanisation scheme have not received their subsidy for the last 308 days. The pending amount totals Rs 18 crore 26 lakh 3 thousand. BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar has taken up the matter by writing directly to state agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne.

In his letter, Mungantiwar said the 640 farmers, found eligible under the STATE and SMAM schemes, had already bought machinery such as tractors and harvesters using their own money or by taking loans. They expected the subsidy to be credited to their accounts on time as per the scheme, but even after more than ten months the money has not come, leaving many farmers in financial distress.

The letter also mentions that the situation has worsened to the point where, at some places, angry farmers brought their tractors and parked them directly inside the premises of the agriculture officer's office. Mungantiwar called this an extremely worrying situation and said farmers' distress cannot be dismissed as merely a file or an administrative matter, and that their real problem needs to be understood and resolved immediately.

The MLA said a farmer who trusted the government's scheme and fulfilled his part should not have to make rounds of offices for the subsidy that is his due. He said the delay in the subsidy is not only adding to the financial burden on farmers but is also defeating the very purpose of the farm mechanisation scheme, which aims to reduce the cost of farming, ensure work is completed on time and increase the use of modern technology, but the stuck subsidy is denying farmers the expected relief.

Mungantiwar has demanded that agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne immediately release the necessary funds for the pending subsidy of Rs 18 crore 26 lakh 3 thousand owed to the 640 farmers, and direct that the amount be deposited directly into the farmers' bank accounts. He also demanded an immediate inquiry into the reasons for the delay in disbursing the subsidy and appropriate action against those responsible, so that subsidies under the STATE and SMAM schemes are not held up for such a long time in future. He sought clear directions to the concerned officials to this effect through his letter.