Maharashtra Agriculture Dept Cracks Down on Duplicate Farm Subsidies

• Maharashtra's Agriculture Department has implemented stricter rules to prevent farmers from receiving duplicate subsidies for the same agricultural machinery component within a five-year period.
• The new guidelines aim to enhance transparency and discipline in the distribution of agricultural mechanization scheme benefits, rejecting proposals for previously subsidized components.
• Farmers must purchase machinery strictly according to the quotation uploaded during the application process; deviations may lead to subsidy denial.
• Tractor subsidies are capped at Rs 1.25 lakh for SC/ST, small/medium, and women farmers, and Rs 1 lakh for others, with service centers receiving up to 40% subsidy.
• Taluka Agricultural Officers can now approve changes to selected machinery in exceptional cases, and strict verification of tractor ownership is mandated for tractor-operated implement subsidies.

Why It Matters: New rules prevent duplicate farm subsidies, ensuring fair and transparent distribution of agricultural mechanization benefits.