Punjab farmers get Rs 19 cr for adopting DSR technology

Chandigarh, January 5

The state government today transferred Rs 19.83 crore into the bank accounts of 17,007 farmers who had opted for the direct seeding of rice (DSR) during the kharif season 2023.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said 19,114 farmers had registered 1,72,049 acres on the DSR portal during 2023-24. Of them, 18,931 farmers and 1,33,745.67 acres were verified by the officials concerned under the DSR scheme.

He said the government had been encouraging farmers to adopt DSR to save ground water. It had announced an incentive of Rs 1,500 per acre for the farmers who sowed paddy directly (without transplanting) during 2023-24. Now, that amount has been transferred to the farmers’ accounts through the direct benefits transfer (DBT) scheme.

“After verification, Rs 19.83 crore has been transferred to the beneficiaries’ accounts. The remaining amount will be given soon,” he said.