Farmers registry meeting
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Bihar government is facing growing concern as more than 50 lakh farmers in the state have yet to obtain their Farmer ID, putting them at risk of losing benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme. To address the issue, the state will launch a special statewide drive from February 2 to February 6 to accelerate Farmer ID registration.
In a key decision taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, the government has announced that no fee will be charged from farmers for Farmer ID registration. The earlier service charge of ₹15 collected through Common Service Centres (CSCs) and Vasudha Kendras has been scrapped, with the concerned department now bearing the cost.
Chief Secretary Pratyay Amrit also announced incentives for districts showing strong performance. Districts achieving 50 per cent of the registration target will be awarded ₹1.5 lakh, while those reaching 35 per cent will receive an incentive of ₹50,000.
As per the revised guidelines issued by the Central government, farmers without a valid Farmer ID will no longer be eligible for PM-Kisan benefits. In Bihar, around 85 lakh farmers are registered under the scheme, but only about 30 lakh have so far obtained their Farmer IDs.
In several districts, Farmer ID coverage has failed to cross even 20 per cent. Although half a dozen districts have managed to exceed the 50 per cent mark, more than 50 lakh farmers across the state still face the threat of being excluded from the PM-Kisan scheme. This prompted a high-level review meeting at the Chief Secretary’s level, during which several major decisions were taken.
Addressing district magistrates, the Chief Secretary said the state’s interest must remain paramount, and directed officials to speed up work under AgriStack so that Bihar can soon enter the second phase of the project. He instructed all districts to ensure Farmer Registry completion for at least 50 per cent of PM-Kisan beneficiaries within the stipulated timeframe, and to intensify efforts in districts where progress has already been satisfactory.
Agriculture Department Principal Secretary Narmdeshwar Lal directed all district magistrates to ensure mandatory preparation of Farmer IDs for every raiyat farmer, stating that the initiative would help deliver government scheme benefits in a transparent, simple and time-bound manner.
The state’s efforts received national recognition on January 28 at a workshop organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in New Delhi. The Farmer Registry initiative being implemented in Bihar under the leadership of the Chief Secretary was appreciated and described as a model for other states to emulate, he said.
The Chief Secretary also lauded the top-performing districts and congratulated officials for their efforts. Vaishali, Sheohar, Begusarai, Buxar, Sheikhpura and Katihar were named among the leading districts. Senior officials from concerned departments were present at the meeting.
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