MUKTSAR, Oct 4: — A joint probe has been ordered into alleged bogus entries under the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) scheme in Muktsar district, following complaints that farmers were claiming the ₹1,500-per-acre incentive for non-existent areas. Deputy Commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish directed officials from the Agriculture and Revenue departments to investigate the matter, sources said.
The complaint reportedly pertains to the Gulabewala circle, though similar reports have surfaced from other areas of the district. Muktsar is the home district of Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, who is also the MLA from Lambi.
Some local farmers have demanded the appointment of a senior nodal officer to re-verify the entire district, warning that the truth might not emerge otherwise. “If a senior officer re-verifies the entire area in the district, many skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard. Last year, complaints were received about bogus DSR areas in Lambi as well, but no action was taken, and the matter was hushed up,” they said.
Under the DSR scheme, farmers must register their area on the Agriculture Department’s portal. Officials then conduct two rounds of verification before sending approved data to the head office for direct release of incentives to farmers. Authorities said the next installment of incentives was due to be released soon.
Karanjit Singh, Joint Director of Agriculture, recently promoted from Chief Agriculture Officer of Muktsar, said, “The Deputy Commissioner has assigned us to probe the alleged bogus DSR entries. The report will be ready soon, as some holidays delayed the process.” He confirmed a similar complaint had been received from Lambi last year but did not comment on its outcome.
The DSR technique is promoted as a water-saving method, reducing water use by 10–20% compared with traditional paddy transplantation. The district has a total of 2.03 lakh hectares under paddy and basmati cultivation, of which 88,000 acres are reported under DSR. Officials noted that inflated figures not only distort state-level DSR data but also lead to financial losses through unwarranted incentive payments.
