The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for in-situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.
The total outgo from the Central funds would be Rs. 1151.80 crore (Rs. 591.65 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 560.15 crore in 2019-20).
Components of the Scheme
(ii) Financial Assistance to the farmers for Procurement of Agriculture Machinery and Equipment for in -situ crop residue management. Financial assistance @50% of the machinery/ equipment will be provided to individual farmer for crop residue management.
(iii) Information, Education and Communication for awareness on in-situ crop residue management. Financial assistance will be provided to the State Government/ KVKs, ICAR Institutes, Central Government Institutes, PSUs, etc. for the activities to be undertaken towards information, education and communication. The activities will involve mass awareness campaigns through short and long films, documents, radio and TV programmes, demonstration camps at various levels, capacity building programme, advertisement in print media, star campaigning, award for Village/ Gram Panchayat for achieving Zero Straw Burning, panel discussions on Doordarshan, DD Kisan and other private channels, etc.
Beneficiaries
Implementing Agencies
(i) At the Central level the scheme will be administered by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.
(iv) At the State level the nodal implementing agency will be the Department of Agriculture of the concerned State Government. State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) chaired by Principle Secretary (Agriculture)/ Agriculture Production Commissioner shall oversee the implementation of the scheme in their State through regular meeting and will provide inputs to Executive Committee for appropriate policy formulation. The SLEC shall ensure that no crop residue burning takes place in the farmer field.
(v) The District Level Executive Committee shall be responsible for carrying forward the objectives of the scheme for project formulation, implementation and monitoring in the districts and will constitute Surveillance Committees involving farmers group / progressive farmers to mobilize farmers for not burning the crop residue and will also ensure active participation of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
(vi) The DAC&FW will empanel the manufacturer of machines and equipment, identified for in-situ management of crop residue alongwith their costs.
Background:
As per budget 2018-19 announcement, a special scheme to support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue, a new Central Sector Scheme (100% Central share) in this regard in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi for the period 2018-19 to 2019-20 has been proposed.
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AKT/VBA