NOW, CRM MACHINES JUST A CLICK AWAY IN PUNJAB; OVER 85K MACHINES MAPPED ON “UNNAT KISAN” APP

NOW, CRM MACHINES JUST A CLICK AWAY IN PUNJAB; OVER 85K MACHINES MAPPED ON “UNNAT KISAN” APP

•Farmers can easily book CRM machines via mobile phones from comfort of their homes, says Gurmeet Singh Khudian

• Over 5K Village Level Facilitators & Cluster Officers to provide on-ground assistance to farmers & monitor activities: Agriculture Minister

Chandigarh, October 2:–

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian today informed that the Punjab Government has mapped over 85000 in-situ and ex-situ Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines on the “Unnat Kisan” Mobile App, a one-stop platform designed to make these machines more easily accessible to small and marginal farmers for promoting sustainable agriculture practices and reducing air pollution.

Divulging the details about a flagship digital initiative, S. Khudian said that this initiative enables farmers to easily book CRM machines through their mobile phones from comfort of their homes. He said each machine is geo-tagged according to the cultivated land area, facilitating monitoring and documentation of residue management activities.

The Agriculture Minister further highlighted the App’s robust ecosystem, supported by over 5,000 Village Level Facilitators (VLFs) and Cluster Officers (COs) who provide on-ground assistance to farmers and monitor activities. The platform promotes inclusivity by allowing private owners of CRM machines to register their equipment, expanding the available inventory. support. For enhanced community support, the VLFs can also book machines on behalf of farmers, ensuring that no farmer is left behind.

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian emphasised the App’s sophisticated backend, featuring a real-time dashboard that enables precise monitoring of machine utilisation and field officers activities. This ensures accountability, swift issue resolution and optimal resource deployment, ultimately benefiting the farming community during critical harvesting periods. The dashboard’s effectiveness in tracking and managing resources enhances the overall efficiency of crop residue management initiatives.

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian urged farmers to utilise the “Unnat Kisan” App, attributing to its farmer-centric design. The app has transformed the process of availing Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery, making it efficient, transparent and inclusive. By enabling easy booking from nearby Custom Hiring Centres and private machine owners, the App provides a practical alternative to stubble burning, supporting Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s environmental and agricultural sustainability goals, he added.

Dr. Basant Garg, Administrative Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has indeed praised the “Unnat Kisan” App for its role in advancing agriculture in Punjab. The App has been providing farmers with easy access to CRM machinery and promoting sustainable agriculture practices in the state and expressed commitment to further building on its digital foundation to drive future progress in the sector.