Kolkata, Oct. 6 -- The West Bengal government has earmarked Rs 407 crore in 2026-27 to accelerate farm mechanisation, aiming to lower cultivation costs, improve productivity and make agriculture more technology-driven while generating employment for rural youth, said Dudh Kumar Mondal on Tuesday.
The Agriculture minister said that his department plans to set up 500 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), 1,085 Farm Machinery Banks/Farm Machinery Hubs (FMB/FMH) and distribute 100 agricultural drones. Around 67,585 farmers are expected to benefit. The state will also install 500 solar-powered pump sets using its own funds, Mondal said.
Under the Financial Assistance Scheme for Large Farm Machinery, farmers will get a 50 per cent subsidy on eligible machinery, capped at Rs 3 lakh. Solar pumps will attract a 60 per cent subsidy, while small farm equipment under the OTA-SFI scheme will get 50 per cent assistance, subject to a Rs 10,000 ceiling.
For FMB/FMH projects, the government will provide 80 per cent assistance, capped at Rs 24 lakh. CHCs will receive 40 per cent of project costs, with the minimum project cost fixed at Rs 20 lakh.
Applications can be submitted online through the agriculture department portal from October 6 to November 4, followed by submission of printed applications and documents by November 6. Beneficiaries will be selected through a computerised lottery under district-level supervision.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.