Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : With a view to checking black marketing of fertilisers and role of middlemen, the Central Government has developed a system based on digital technique and Aadhar Cards and introduced Aadhar enabled Fertilizers Distribution System (AeFDS). Now the farmers have to purchase fertilisers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) from the authorized Point of Sale (PoS) machines. This system was launched in Bhojpur district on January 1, 2018.
Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar on January 1, 2018, said that the Central Government has given maximum subsidy on fertiliser after foodstuffs and over Rs 70,000 crore subsidy has been sanctioned for fertilisers only. He said that the Central Government admitted that 50% amount of subsidy gets embezzled due to lack of transparency in the system and so the AeFDS has been introduced to plug the leakage points in the earlier system that benefited the middlemen and the black marketers instead of real farmers. This system will be monthly by the Niti Ayog and the PMO.
The DM said as per the World Bank report, the Central Government saved at least Rs 30,000 crore and R. 50,000 crore in the financial years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 respectively after linking the Centrally sponsored schemes with Aadhar and the amount may increase to 11 billion dollar if the new scheme is implemented effectively. He said imported fertilisers, non-establishment of any new fertiliser manufacturing plants in the last 35 years and outdated techniques had resulted in payment of more amount as subsidy on fertilisers.
The ministry of Chemical and Fertilizer, Government of India, introduced the DBT phase -wise in Bihar in agriculture sector in Bihar to encourage digitization in the Central and State government sponsored programmes. Fertilisers are to be sold through the Point of Sale (PoS) machines by the retailers and the farmers have to produce Aadhar Cards or EPICs at the sale counters at the time of purchase of fertilisers. The retailers will sale fertilisers to the farmers after thoroughly verifying the documents.
Under the DBT scheme, a farmer has to purchase fertiliser at subsidized rate as usual without paying extra amount but through the PoS. The DM said that the DBT has three benefits such as (1) Cash transfer to individual beneficiary-MGNREGA, PAHAL, NSAP, Scholarships (2) In kind Transfer from Government to individual beneficiary—SSA, MDM, PDS, Assistance to State for Control of Animal Disease, DBT in Fertilizers and (3) Transfer made to the various enablers of government schemes like community workers, NGOs, in the form of honorarium, incentives, etc. for successful implementation of schemes including ASHA workers under NHM, Aanganwadi workers under ICDS, teachers in aided schools.
The DM said that after implementation of DBT in agriculture, black marketing of fertilisers will be checked, fertilisers will be available at ‘Single Click’ from the Lead Fertiliser Suppliers (LFS) anywhere in Bihar at Real Time Status, enabling the government and the administration to monitor from anywhere and will make Real Time Data/stock updation, acknowledgement, self-purchage etc. possible digitally on Real Time Basis.