ROURKELA: Digital enrolment of cultivators under the Agri Stack initiative for creation of a unified database of farmers continues to move at a snail’s pace in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district .
Despite thrust by district agriculture authorities, online registration is failing to pick up pace largely due to mismatch of farmers’ information in Aadhaar and land records. Based on the existing PMKISAN beneficiaries in Sundargarh, it has been targeted to create database of 1,87,397 farmers.
The Agri Stack initiative involves creation of a unique and authentic farmer ID by linking Aadhaar, land records and bank details to enable cultivators to get seamless access to government schemes, crop insurance, agriculture credit and subsidy benefits.
Digital ID is meant to link authentic profile of a farmer containing demographic detail, land record, bank account and crop information across various platforms. Reliable sources said from August 21, 2025 to January 4 this year, 16,945 additional farmers have been registered.
Till January 4, a total of 50,558 farmers could be registered against the target of 1,87,397. The process had started months ago but the achievement so far is merely 26.98 per cent. Incidentally, the online registration on January 4 was at an all-time low with registration of only 29 farmers across 17 blocks of the vast Sundargarh district.
Kuanrmunda, Lathikata, Balishankara, Bisra, Lephripada, Sundargarh, Lahunipada and Tangarpali blocks recorded zero registration. Kutra, Subdega, Gurundia and Hemgir blocks reported one each registration, while the rest five blocks togethe r a c c o u n t e d f o r 2 9 registrations. Only 1,234 and 390 farmers registered through the common services centres and self-registration mode respectively.
At least 45,145 farmers registered through camps while 3,781 were helped in the online enrolment by Sahayaks. Two days ago, chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) of Sundargarh LB Mallick visited various pockets of Kuanrmunda block and reviewed the status of the registration process. Mallick said mismatch of farmers’ information in Aadhaar and land records and in some cases with bank accounts was delaying the process.
There is a mismatch of surmanes of many farmers, their sons and extended family members in records. Besides, in many villages including Jaidega in Kuanrmunda, farmers were objecting to the registration with the misconception that they would lose their agriculture land. A report would be submitted to the district administration for appropriate action regarding mismatch of farmers’ information, he added.