CHANDIGARH: Punjab has approved wheat seed subsidy policy-2020-21 to provide certified wheat seed at 50% subsidy to farmers in the rabi season. Under the policy, a total of 1.85 lakh quintals of certified seed, with Rs 18.50 crore worth of subsidy, will directly benefit approximately 2.5 lakh farmers.
Chief minister Amarinder Singh directed the agriculture department to give priority for providing subsidised seeds to small and marginal farmers. The subsidy should be given only to eligible farmers and subsidy amount should be transferred directly to the accounts of beneficiary farmers, he said.
Additional chief secretary for development Anirudh Tewari has been asked to issue detailed instructions to the officers/staff of the agriculture department to closely monitor the seeds being sold in their respective area. Captain Amarinder asked him to ensure that only quality seeds reach farmers. If any complaint is received in this regard or any malpractice detected, then the concerned officers/employees of the seed agencies, as well as the district and block level agriculture officers would be considered to be directly responsible, warned the chief minister.
Farmers interested in availing the subsidy can submit their applications at the offices of agriculture department in their areas from November 1. Tewari said the agriculture department had ensured all requisite arrangements to provide wheat seed at subsidised rates to the farmers.
Subsidy equalling 50% of total cost of seeds, or to a maximum of Rs 1,000 per quintal, will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of applicant farmers and subsidy on wheat seed will be provided for a maximum of five acres area.
During the rabi season 2020-21, wheat is expected to be cultivated over an area of about 35 lakh hectares in the state.