The Food Corporation of India (FCI) office in Punjab wrote to the director of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs on Thursday seeking farmers’ land records for direct online payment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to your bank accounts from the next Rabi Marketing Season (RMS).
The March 4 letter stated that FCI, Zonal Office (N), Noida, has indicated that land records are essential for the acquisition of wheat in RMS 2021-22.
The director has been asked to update the land records on the Annaj Khardi Portal before the start of RMS 2021-22 to avoid complications.
The letter further reads: “It is requested to share land record data and let the office know where to find it so that FCI will verify farmers’ land records during RMS 2021-22 with respect to FCI’s own purchase.”
The issue of direct payment to farmers’ accounts is something the Center has been pondering for the past few years, as it wants to remove intermediaries from the process. Currently, the arhtiyas (commission agents) get the payments into their accounts, which in turn pay the farmers by checks. The Center has to pay a commission of 2.5 percent to the arhtiyas who facilitate the procurement of the farmers’ harvest from government agencies and collect a commission for it from the government.
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