Farm Machinery Scandal is Haunting Punjab Agricultural Authorities

After the stubble management machinery scandal was exposed two years ago, the government has launched a new investigation after the authorities involved failed to present any records relating to the equipment acquired with a subsidy of hundreds of crores supplied by the Centre.

A considerable number of farm custom hiring centres (machinery banks) created under the In-Situ Crop Residue Management Scheme could not be identified on the ground when a team from the Union Ministry of Agriculture conducted a field survey, according to a report published on October 18, 2019.

Following the revelation, the government appointed a five-member inquiry team, which failed to determine who was responsible for the swindle. With a change of guard at the top of the administration, the swindle has returned to haunt authorities.

The government has launched an investigation into Manmohan Kalia, the chief of the Agriculture Department's Engineering Wing, for failing to present a record of machinery distribution. A report is expected within seven days. According to a government document, Kalia failed to give a record of the money spent on equipment under the Crop Residue Management Scheme. The Secretary (Agriculture) has been directed to launch an investigation and provide a report within seven days.

Last year, the federal government provided funding to construct farm machinery banks (custom hiring centres) with the goal of making stubble management machinery available to marginal and small farmers. Farmers' cooperative societies, producer organisations, self-help groups, registered farmers' societies, farmers' groups, and private entrepreneurs were to form the banks.

On 13th of November in a court hearing, Justice Kant told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta "You are saying two lakh machines are available, but the poor farmers cannot afford these machines. After the agrarian laws, the landholding in UP, Punjab and Haryana is less than 3 acres. We can't expect those farmers to purchase those machines,"

This hence reveals the major flaw in the case of implementation of the farm machinery in the places like Punjab where stubble burning is a major problem.