By Muhammad Aatif Ismail
MULTAN, Feb 09 (APP):Kisan Card as a novel technological intervention has been set into motion by the present government to alleviate sufferings of farming community and remove bottlenecks in getting subsidies and financial assistance.
The card would help transform the agriculture sector enabling the farmers to draw direct cash subsidy with one click of Smartphone and without any interference of third-party.
Prime Minister Imran Khan after assuming charge of his office had introduced Rs 300 billion program to boost agricultural productivity and improve financial condition of the peasants by upgrading agriculture infrastructure and reducing input cost.
Under the mega program different facilities were being extended to farmers with the Kissan card aimed at extending direly needed financial support in highly transparent manner.
According to official figures, there are over 5.2 million farmers in Punjab province among whom there are 3.4 million registered farmers. Smooth and judicious distribution of Kissan card would also pave way for registration of all benefiting farmers.
“Issuance of Kissan Card would help remove hiccups in extending financial assistance to farmers by freeing them from multi-step verification,” said Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ateel.
Commenting on its utility, he said, Kisan Card would bring in transparency and brisk transferring of subsidies to deserving farmers in a single step. “It is highly valuable intervention for the farmers who will also be facilitated with financial assistance through this card.”
He said once these cards are issued to all farmers in Punjab, “this initiative would revolutionize the agricultural sector as well as lives of farmers who had to previously face lot of difficulties in getting subsidies and assistance from banking sector.”
City of Multan, the business and agricultural hub of South Punjab is at top in terms of issuance of Kissan Card with nearly 60 percent peasants benefiting from this facility across the district. Similarly, the district Chiniot is at second position with issuance of the cards to more than 55% farmers. This percentage stands at 32% in Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Hafizabad, Lodhran and Mianwali districts.
Asif Raza, Deputy Secretary Agriculture South Punjab told APP that in the past farmers used to complain of hardships or sometimes no access to direct subsidies. “But, with the issuance of Kissan Card, farmers would avail direct subsidy through the ATMs.”
He said initially main focus of the card was to subsidize cost of production on different crops and transform agriculture sector into maximum profit generating business.
“Both the farmers owning agricultural land or the tenants can avail facility of Kisan Card,” Asif Raza said. “Farmers can now have fertilizers, pesticides, registered seed varieties of wheat, cotton, pulses including moong, gram and oilseeds like sesame, sunflower etc at subsidized prices.
Another official of Agriculture Department Dr Safdar informed that the procedure for Kissan Cards was very simple. The beneficiary first needs to get themselves registered with agriculture extension department and then move to HBL Konnect shop for thumb verification to get their account opened. They would also need to deposit Rs 500 that would be returned to their accounts later.
“Almost 70 per cent of our population is associated to agriculture directly or indirectly and any impact on farming community would have an overall impact on all segments of society,” Safdar remarked.
He said, in developed countries, access to farmers was very easy due to registration process. Now, the registration and issuance of Kisan Card in Pakistan would also help maintain strong liaison between the government and the peasants.
Farmer community has widely hailed this initiative of the government and termed it a step forwards ending exploitation of farmers at different tiers like the local level agricultural officials as well as the middleman.
“It is purely a farmer-friendly initiative and suggested to also add loaning facilities through this card ensuring that farmer community all across the country benefits from it,” said a progressive farmer and businessman Shahid Naseem Khokhar.
Another farmer, Malik Arif Kalro said Kissan Card would end up the painful procedure to get subsidies discouraging delaying tactics and bribery. “It would help farmers to avail the benefits directly and without third part involvement.”
Laique Shiekh, a mango grower, from Nawabpur (Multan) expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar for launching the scheme from South Punjab. “Kissan Card would ensure easy access to quality seed, fertilizers and pesticides and share their financial burden.”
Mian Ishnaaq Watto, a farmer from Vehari said, it is a revolutionary scheme and would help bring positive financial change in farmers’ life.
“Although I noticed dozens of farmers standing in queues in front of Habib Bank, yet still there is need to aware farmers to fully benefit from this scheme,” he said.
He suggested frequent training sessions of registered dealers at village and union council level to educate farmers at grassroots.
Since, the experts and farmers pin great hopes from this scheme, it is important for the government to ensure its unhindered continuation to reach out to farmers in every nook and corner and free them from cruel clutches of corrupt officials and exploitation of middleman.
