New Scheme for promoting agricultural mechanisation in state

Bhopal: The State Government has implemented a state-level scheme for promoting agricultural mechanisation and use of latest agricultural implements by providing tractors and implements at village-level custom hiring centres. The scheme will be run with the assistance of two sub-schemes. The first sub-scheme aims at giving special subsidy to farmers on purchase of selected power-driven agricultural appliances and the second aims to extension of assistance for setting up custom hiring centres in the private sector.
Farmers belonging to all categories who have already tractors will be eligible for subsidy on purchase of selected power-driven agricultural implements. For subsidy on ridge-furrow attachment, those farmers will be eligible who already possess seed drill/seed-cum-fertiliser drill.
Assistance will also be made available to private beneficiaries/primary agriculture cooperative societies, which are willing to give machines and agricultural implements on hire to farmers, on the purchase of machines and state-of-art implements. This scheme known as Credit Linked Back Ended Subsidy Scheme under which payment of back-ended subsidy will be made to the bank which sanctions the loan.
For establishment of custom hiring centres in the private sector, persons below 40 years of age belonging to all categories will be eligible for 50 percent subsidy upto to maximum Rs. 10 lakh. An applicant must be a graduate. Under the scheme, subsidy will be given only on loans obtained from banks. Loan can be obtained from any nationalised or cooperative bank.
The primary agriculture cooperative societies will be eligible for subsidy on establishment of custom hiring centres only on bank loans obtained from District Cooperative Central Banks. The tractors and agricultural implements obtained by the societies will be operated only by suitable and driving license holder persons.
Applicants and societies can establish custom hiring centres costing from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh. One unit will have at least one tractor, plough, rotator, cultivator, disc harrow, seed-cum-fertiliser drill and one thrasher. Besides, selection of other suitable implements and machines can also be made on the basis of additional area and crops.
Under the scheme tractors of only 35 to 55 horsepower can be obtained. A centre will have to give tractor and agricultural implements on custom hiring for minimum ten years. Even if bank loan is repaid within this period, custom hiring services will have to be provided to farmers upto stipulated period. Sanctioned loan will be recovered in maximum 9 years.