Buldhana: Irrigation wells built, subsidy stuck, farmers forced to make office rounds

For farmers in Buldhana district, irrigation wells have been built in their fields, but there is still no answer to when the subsidy for them will arrive. Under various government schemes, irrigation wells are being built in farmers' fields so they get water round the year. But even after the well work is completed, the subsidy due from the government is not reaching the farmers on time, leaving them in financial difficulty. Despite months of rounds to government offices, the money has still not been credited to their accounts.

In Maharashtra, individual-benefit irrigation wells are being run under the Employment Guarantee Scheme, with guidelines fixed under a government resolution of November 4, 2022. Under this scheme, the maximum subsidy limit for a well was raised from 4 lakh rupees to 5 lakh rupees by a government resolution of August 5, 2024. According to available government information, a large number of irrigation well works have been completed in the 2024-25 financial year as well, with many works still in progress. Wells have come up in farmers' fields, but the wait for reimbursement of the money spent on them continues. This is why farmers are demanding that the administration not stop at just announcing the scheme, but also take responsibility for paying the subsidy for approved works on time. The concerned department is expected to immediately review the stuck subsidies and credit the money into farmers' accounts.

On one hand there is uncertainty over rains, rising costs of farming and uncertain income, and on the other hand the wait for the government subsidy, farmers are caught in this double trouble. For farmers who took loans or borrowed money to build the wells, the delay in subsidy is adding to their financial burden. Farmers say that if the government has announced a scheme, arrangements for the necessary funds and a system for disbursing the money should be fixed in advance. According to available government information, in the individual-benefit irrigation well scheme, the subsidy is paid according to a measurement of the work done. That is why the administration needs to make public, for each beneficiary, exactly how much amount is pending at which stage, the reason it is pending, and when the funds will be received.

Farmers complain that they spent money from their own pockets to complete the construction of the wells, and are now having to wait for the subsidy that is due, which is defeating the very purpose of the scheme. After the work is completed, various reasons are being cited, such as paperwork, measurement, approval, availability of funds or changes in the scheme, farmers complain. That is why the demand is being raised that the administration issue a clear timetable for when the concerned farmers will actually receive the money.