Anomalies suspected in granting SMAM subsidy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 27 2020:
Many quarters have raised strong suspicion about several anomalies in the process of granting subsidy for purchasing agricultural machinery and equipment under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) scheme.
The Government of India introduced SMAM scheme in 2014-15 with the main objective of enhancing mechanisation of agriculture among small and marginal farmers.
With Agriculture Department as its implementing agency, subsidy is being given to farmers under SMAM scheme every year for purchasing agricultural machinery and equipment.
After a list of selected beneficiaries for the year 2020-21 was published, Agriculture Department has completed all procedures for releasing subsidies to the beneficiaries.
Sources and some farmers who are said to be included in the list of beneficiaries for 2020-21 told The Sangai Express that they suspected several anomalies have been committed by officials concerned starting from selection of beneficiaries till finalisation of due process for releasing subsidies.
Driven by their strong suspicion, some beneficiaries have even lodged complaints to relevant officials of Agriculture Department.
When farmers applied for SMAM scheme, they mentioned names of the agricultural machinery/equipment to be purchased and the applications were attached with rate quotations provided by the firms from which the machinery/equipment would be purchased but no signed official copies of the applications were provided to the applicants.
When the list of beneficiaries was published, their rate quotations as well as the names of the firms, companies or dealers from which machinery/equipment would be purchases were found altered.
Even as the selected beneficiaries complained about this alteration, the officials concerned asked them to bring no objection certificates from the firms, companies or dealers wrongly mentioned against their applications.
However, when the beneficiaries sought NOCs from the firms/companies/dealers, they demanded 50 per cent of the subsidy amount, said the sources.
At the same time, there is a strong suspicion that some of the people named in the beneficiary list are not genuine farmers.
There is a strong suspicion that there are many fake farmers among the beneficiary list of SMAM 2020-21.According to the sources, a number of brokers who are well connected came out at the time of selection of beneficiaries.
As a result, there are reports of submission of forged money receipts, bills, GST invoices etc for purportedly purchasing agricultural machinery and equipment even though no such machinery and equipment were purchased in reality, said the sources.
As such, there is growing need to rope in a competent authority to investigate the matter so as to ensure that the benefits of SMAM reach only genuine farmers, added the sources.
Comment
