In a significant move to digitize agricultural services, the Bihar government has announced a crucial four-day registration drive for all land-owning farmers in the state. Agriculture Minister Ram Kripal Yadav made a direct appeal to cultivators, emphasizing that registration is essential for the continuation of central government benefits.
Mandatory Registration for Kisan Nidhi Beneficiaries
Minister Yadav specifically highlighted the urgency for beneficiaries of the Centre's Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (KSNY). With approximately 75 lakh farmers in Bihar receiving these benefits, the minister stated that registration on the dedicated farmer-registry web portal or mobile application is now absolutely necessary to keep receiving financial support.
The special drive will be conducted across all districts of Bihar from January 6 to January 9. This initiative forms a core part of the central government's ambitious Agri-Stack Project, which aims to create unique digital identities for every cultivator in the country.
How the Farmer-ID System Will Work
The proposed Farmer-ID system is designed to revolutionize how agricultural services are delivered. According to the minister, these unique IDs will make departmental services more effective, transparent, and farmer-oriented.
Each Farmer-ID will integrate crucial information:
- Land-related details of the farmer
- Linkage with the farmer's Aadhaar number
- Other relevant agricultural data
Officials revealed that Bihar's land records have already been integrated with the Agri-Stack database to facilitate this process. A coordinated effort is underway where agriculture department personnel are handling the e-KYC of farmers, while revenue department staff are categorizing land records for each of the state's 38,516 revenue villages (maujas).
Current Progress and Pilot Project Success
The state has already made substantial headway in this digital transformation. Official data indicates that the agriculture department has completed the e-KYC process for 30 lakh farmers so far.
Furthermore, after the verification of land records, Farmer-IDs for 5.85 lakh cultivators have been successfully generated. Among these, 3.70 lakh are existing beneficiaries of the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
The rollout follows a successful pilot project conducted in two revenue villages each across five districts: Saran, Gaya, East Champaran, Purnia, and Bhagalpur. The positive outcomes from this pilot phase prompted the government to expand the project to cover every revenue village in Bihar.
The upcoming four-day drive represents a critical push to ensure no farmer is left out of this essential digital infrastructure, which promises to streamline subsidy delivery and enhance support mechanisms for India's agricultural community.
