Punjab Govt orders inquiry into resale of subsidised stubble management machines

The Punjab Government has ordered an inquiry into the scam involving the resale of subsidised stubble management machinery. Purchased by availing 50 per cent subsidy, the government will crack down on farmers, farmer groups and custom hiring centres that sold these machines before the stipulated five-year period after the purchase. The government will recover the full subsidy and interest amount from such entities.

The new inquiry has been launched although the initial inquiry ordered by the Centre is yet to conclude. In spite of an ongoing inquiry into the purchase of machines from 2018-19 to 2021-22 that were found missing, the farmers have reportedly started selling the machines again. The initial inquiry relates to about 11,200 machines that were purchased by availing subsidy from the Centre.

That inquiry also revealed that fake bills worth Rs 140 crore were submitted for the purchase of machinery and the subsidy amount was pocketed by unscrupulous entities in connivance with officials of the Agriculture Department. Over 900 officials of the department were issued show-cause notices last year.

The rules for availing subsidy specify that the farmer is supposed to keep the machine for minimum five years. A declaration to this effect is given by the farmers at the time of availing subsidy to buy stubble management systems, happy seeders, rotavators, etc., under the centrally-sponsored Promotion of Agriculture Mechanisation for In Situ Management of Crop Residue Scheme.

Sources in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare have told The Tribune that they have received many complaints of farmers selling these machines within one-two years of purchase.

Such machinery, purchased in 2023-24, is now finding its way to dealers, who are advertising its sale on social media platforms.

Director (Agriculture) Jaswant Singh has shot off a letter to all chief agricultural officers, asking them to investigate the case of “misuse of government subsidy, by scanning news reports and social media posts of resale of machines”. The officers have been asked to recover full subsidy amount from such farmers.

• Subsidy to be given in instalments

  Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said he had asked for an inquiry into the misuse of subsidy. "We will now give the subsidy amount in two-three instalments. Physical verification for all machines for which subsidy is given will be made a regular feature. We will take action against the culprits without any delay," he said.