Farmers upset over horticulture grant

PATNA: Encouraged by the subsidy component admissible under the national horticulture mission, farmers of Bihar were attracted to horticulture farming in a big way, reports Ashok K Mishra. But those farmers are now ruing over their fate because of the new conditions laid down by the Centre for availing of the subsidy benefits.

In keeping with the new directive, farmers will be admissible for subsidy only if they adopt a more technologically-advanced irrigation system like drip and sprinkler for horticulture farming. As a result, farmers who had completed their horticulture projects and were eligible for subsidy are in a bind now due to the new riders imposed by the National Horticulture Board.

The Centre had identified a number of districts for the horticulture mission, allowing 20% subsidy for those farmers who were willing to take up herbal and floral farming and those raising new orchards. The provision also made it mandatory for the interested farmer to procure bank loans for availing of the subsidy facility.

But now that the National Horticulture Board has put in place a new rider on the use of advanced irrigation system, the farmers completing their projects are no more eligible for subsidy.

As envisaged under the horticulture mission, the Centre passed on 50% of the subsidy amount to the banks only after the loan petition of the concerned farmers were approved by the bankers. The residual 50% subsidy amount was made available to the farmers through banks only after the completion of their horticulture projects. The banks were required to submit the project completion reports. As a result, those completing their projects without employing the drip or sprinklers are now not eligible for subsidy benefits.