Agri Dept refutes anomaly report
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 28 2020: Reacting to the news item published in TSE under the caption 'Anomalies suspected in granting SMAM subsidy,' Agriculture Department has clarified SMAM applicants submit their applications to the office of District Agriculture officer concerned and selection of beneficiary is done by the duly constituted District Level Selection Committee (DLSC).

Thereafter, the DLSC recommended beneficiary list is compiled at the Directorate level for obtaining administrative approval/SLSC approval to the recommended list.

There is no anomaly in the selection process, it said.

Due to fund constraints, it is not possible to consider all applicants, hence screening of the applicant is done by the DLSC, it further said.

"In fact, for the convenience of farmers during covid-19 lockdown, the department put up the rate quotation of all the nine machinery dealers of Manipur on the Department website" .

As per the Operational Guidelines of SMAM, the brand/firm of machinery is the choice of the farmer concerned.

In order to ascertain the choice of firm/brand, the applicants are required to submit rate quotation of the firm concerned.

The name of the firm along with the name of machinery is also reflected while putting up the selected beneficiaries.

There is no alternation done regarding firm/brand, it continued.

Till date no application for change of firm/brand has been received by the Department.

If such a written request is received by the Department, it will be considered on merit.

For any complaints farmers may submit the same to the DAO concerned or the Director of Agriculture, it said.

The Department has not issued any instruction to obtain any kind of NOC from any firm/company or brand.

Further, subsidy amount is released directly to the bank account of beneficiaries through PFMS.

Before releasing subsidy, the beneficiary has to submit a money receipt and tax invoice and from time to time the department crosschecks the tax invoice from the Taxation Department.

Hence, there is no question of releasing subsidy based on fake receipt and tax invoice, it said.

For tractor and power tiller, the tax invoice should include the chassis number and engine number of the machinery, it added.

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