COIMBATORE: Several farmers say registration for unique ID under the union ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, is yet to begin in many panchayats in the Coimbatore district as resource persons do not turn up for the work.
In 2021, the union ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare announced creating a database of farmers across the country and the work started in September 2024. A unique identification number will be assigned to each farmer after registration under the agri stock programme. The ID is a e-Know Your Farmer (e-KYF) that will facilitate easy verification and eliminate the need for submitting physical documents every time a farmer wants to avail benefits under a scheme. The unique ID will link the farmer’s profile with all the government schemes he or she has availed of.
The agriculture department, along with allied departments, is tasked with handling registrations fpr the registry. A Community Resource Person (CRP) is appointed free of cost for this process in every panchayat, but there are complaints that they are irregular or do not show up.
K Balakrishnan, a farmer from Chennappachettipudur in Sulur taluk, said, “The registration is carried out through the office of Assistant Agricultural Officer in block level. Each block has an average of 25 panchayats, and there are not enough staff strength in the department. So CRP has been appointed on a temporary basis to collect information in every village. However farmers who go for registration get tired and are forced to give up registration as they could not meet the community resource persons.”
He suggested that the government should facilitate self-registration by farmers through e-seva centres. Also, he said there is no option to edit or correct any entry made during the registration.
Speaking to TNIE, V Krishnaveni, Joint Director of Agriculture said, “The registration process would be carried out in multiple phases. Now, Phase - I is going on. The department has to complete 25% (17,000) registrations out of 68,596 farmers who are the beneficiaries under TN-Kisan in the Coimbatore district. So far, we have reached 35% (28,000) registrations. The farmers who have been left out will be registered soon. Farmers need not worry about the registration. We have taken up the issue of editing option to the head of the department. It will be rectified soon.”