The Punjab government has recently marked a vigilance enquiry after physical verification of subsidised machines meant for paddy stubble management showed discrepancies. The government said that 90,422 stubble management machines were distributed in the past four years under Corp Residue Management (CRM) scheme to the beneficiaries (farmers, registered farmers’ groups, Cooperative Societies, Custom hiring centres, FPOs and gram Panchayats). Of these, 79,295 machines were checked physically recently but end users couldn’t show 11,275 machines during the physical verification. While several reasons were cited for the missing machines, the government said that it might lead to a scam of around Rs 150 crore. ANJU AGNIHOTRI CHABA explains what could have happened to these missing machines. Excerpts:
How much grant the state has utilised under the CRM scheme?
CRM is a central government sponsored scheme under which the state gets an annual grant since 2018-19. Till date, Centre has released Rs 1,147 crore and Rs 935 crore has been used as subsidy amount till 2021-22 and Rs 212 crore will be used this year to provide subsidy on machines. It will include Happy seeder, super seeder, smart seeder, super SMS, which is an attachment with the combine harvester, cutter, chopper, mulcher, etc. Under the scheme, farmers are entitled a 50% subsidy on a machine and groups are entitled to 80% subsidy. In 2018, the subsidy amount could go either to the farmers or manufacturers/dealers as they could opt for the same but in the following three years, subsidy amount was went to the accounts of the machine manufacturers.
What is the procedure for the distribution of CRM machines and their verification?
After receiving the grant, Punjab agriculture department invites applications through advertisements every year for purchasing subsidised machines. Two committees are formed — state and district. According to agricultural authorities, the state-level committee decides machine distribution to different districts depending upon their area under paddy and the problem of stubble burning etc. and the district-level committee selects end beneficiaries after verifications and also conducts physical examination of machines provided to the farmers.
According to the Agriculture department, when a machine is provided on subsidy, the physical examination takes place in the same year and everything is registered in government records. This year, following allegations of irregularities in CRM scheme, the AAP government marked physical examination of all machines distributed in the past four years since 2018. And it was found that a large number of machines 15% to 20% were missing from Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Mansa, Muktsar sahib etc, districts. Mostly happy seeder, super seeder and choppers were found missing.
Where have these machines gone?
Sources in the agriculture department said that during their physical verification, some farmers and farm groups (some of whom gave in writing) said that they sold their machines because better technology machines were available and they used the money to purchase the latest one. Others said that their machines are lying at the place of their relatives or known ones in another village, district or state. “We have given them time to bring these back,” said a senior agricultural officer. As per the norms, farmers give a self-declaration that they will not sell subsidised machines under CRM for five years but many sold them in just a year or two after purchase.
“We found that after the first year of the scheme, some wrong people entered into agreement with Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) to provide machines on rent. Over 15,000 CHCs were formed in 2019-20 and 2020-21 with the majority having just a single machine. And several new manufacturers, who were making some farm-related machines earlier, came into the market to meet the huge demand for machines and started manufacturing CRM machines. Some of these people started indulging in unethical practices,” said a member of the team that conducted physical examination in Malwa.
“For instance, these people connive with each other and also involve some farmers and might be some offcials at few places. A machine was purchased at 50% or 80% by an individual farmer or group/CHCs, respectively, and after annual verification, they send back the machines to the manufacturer, who had already got the subsidy, and distribute it among themselves and the same machine was sold further. Now when a detailed inquiry takes place then the end buyer will be at the receiving end,” said another member of the verification team, adding that the involvement of some small-time and new manufacturers of machines was seen more. He added that the makers even increased the price of several machines by Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 to buy more machines.
Why farmers or end users are selling these machines?
There are genuine farmers who used the machine for CRM but sold it later to purchase new ones. “In the past four years, five machines were introduced under CRM scheme just for sowing wheat without clearing paddy stubble from the field. First, they give ‘zero till drill’, followed by ‘rotary drill’, ‘happy seeder’, super seeder and now smart seeder. They asked why wouldn’t they go for the latest one, which might be more beneficial,” said another member of the physical verification team. They added that when the government is bringing improved versions of a machine under CRM scheme every year, they should also be allowed to get improved ones by selling old ones.