The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (Mechanization & Technology Division) organized a one-day national workshop on the Implementation of the Online Centralized Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Platform Version 2.0 and the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana in New Delhi today.

The event was graced by Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, DA&FW, Dr. Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary, and Smt S. Rukmani, Joint Secretary (M&T). The workshop was attended by the officers from the Central Ministries, Stare Agriculture & Rural Development Departments and the Lead Fertilizer Companies. The Secretary inaugurated the workshop and unveiled the Crop-Specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for application of various forms of soil and plant nutrients using drones in agriculture. These SOPs will provide scientific guidance and uniformity in drone operations across the country.

In his inaugural speech, the Secretary, DA&FW, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi emphasized the importance of digital platforms in driving efficiency and accountability in agricultural schemes. He highlighted how the new version of the DBT portal and the Drone Portal under the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana, was envisioned to make a robust digital system that creates transparency in the system and promotes fair trade practices giving every farmer a fair chance to acquire machines with subsidy. He also highlighted the importance of agricultural Mechanization and stressed upon improving the delivery systems to address the issues of small and marginal farmers of the country.

The NaMo Drone Didi Yojana is a flagship initiative aimed at training and equipping women from Self-Help Groups to operate drones for agricultural purposes such as spraying of fertilizers and pesticides. The newly developed Drone Portal, presented to all States for their reviews, will facilitate mapping and tracking of drone operations, pilot training and certification management and access to all stakeholders with a comprehensive dashboard.

The workshop included live demonstrations of the Centralized DBT Platform Version 2.0, and newly developed Namo Drone Didi portal allowing state nodal officers and stakeholders to understand the features, workflows, and implementation protocols. The upgraded portal is a major reform aimed at resolving longstanding challenges faced by farmers in accessing benefits under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM). Challenges like delayed subsidies, lack of transparency, and manual bottlenecks are addressed with the new advanced features of the DBT portal. Open discussions provided a platform for states to share feedback and implementation strategies. The State nodal officers from various states shared their insightful feedback, ground experiences and good practices which  will be helpful in shaping the way forward for improving the portals and preparing a roadmap for effective implementation of agricultural mechanisation schemes.

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RC/KSR/AR

(Release ID: 2143151)