Govt sets up panel to probe ‘missing’ machinery banks

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30

Taking cognisance of The Tribune report on an alleged scam in stubble management machinery banks, the state government has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the matter.

In a report appeared on October 18, The Tribune had highlighted how a large number of farm custom hiring centres (machinery banks) established under In-Situ Crop Residue Management Scheme couldn’t be untraced on the ground, when a team of Union Ministry of Agriculture carried out a field survey.

Sutantar Kumar Airi, Director, Agriculture, confirmed the development and said the committee comprised senior officials of the level of Deputy Director, Agriculture. The committee would give its report in a time-bound manner.

Kahan Singh Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture, said they had provided all details to the ministry and had asked to review their list and conduct a fresh survey.

With an aim to making available stubble management machinery to marginal and small farmers, the Central Government had given a huge funding to establish farm machinery banks under the name of custom hiring centres last year. The banks were to be established by cooperative societies of farmers, farmer producer organisations, self-help groups, registered farmers societies, farmers groups and private entrepreneur.

In the report sent to the state government, the ministry had observed that of 107 banks, only 73 could be verified as 34 were not found on the given addresses. All missing centres were in Bathinda, where each bank was given between Rs 6 and Rs 8 lakh subsidy.

Besides, it was also found that no display board or any informative board was placed outside the centres. The report also observed that in a large number of existing centers, the machines were not found physically available. The phenomenon of under utilisation of machines was also noticed.