Streamline Irrigation Subsidies: Drip Dealers Demand Unified Portal and Lower Acreage Limits for Sprinklers
The Maharashtra State Drip Dealer Association has called for urgent reforms in the drip and sprinkler subsidy process. Key demands include a unified online portal, timely disbursement of funds, and reducing the minimum area limit for sprinkler subsidies from 20 to 10 gunthas.
During a high-level state meeting held on March 12, the Maharashtra State Drip Dealer Association raised significant concerns regarding the implementation of drip and sprinkler irrigation schemes. Led by President Sudam Khosre, the association highlighted that the current subsidy process is riddled with technical glitches and administrative delays that hinder the adoption of water-saving technologies. Dealers from across Western Maharashtra and the Konkan region attended the session to draft a formal list of demands for the state government.
One of the primary grievances involves the existence of three separate online systems for subsidy management. Dealers have strongly urged the government to integrate all irrigation schemes into a single unified portal to ensure transparency and ease of use for both farmers and distributors. Furthermore, they demanded that the online stock book be made available to distributors and that the registration process for new dealers be moved entirely online to eliminate manual intervention.
The association also addressed the plight of small-scale farmers, particularly in the Konkan region. A key proposal submitted to the government is the reduction of the minimum area limit for sprinkler irrigation subsidies from the current 20 gunthas to just 10 gunthas. This move is expected to benefit thousands of marginalized farmers who were previously ineligible for government support due to their small landholdings.
Administrative inefficiencies in the verification process were also a point of discussion. Dealers pointed out that while Agriculture Supervisors are responsible for site inspections, proposals are often sent back by Agriculture Assistants in the online system, causing unnecessary delays. The association has demanded that only Agriculture Supervisors be officially designated for the final online verification to speed up the process.
Finally, the dealers called for the immediate launch of the second phase of the Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Project and the timely release of sanctioned subsidy amounts directly to farmers' accounts. With climate change making water conservation more critical than ever, the association emphasized that resolving these "portal problems" is essential for the success of Maharashtra's micro-irrigation goals.
