Farmer e-KYC drive begins across Patna’s panchayats

Patna: The district administration on Tuesday launched a four-day drive, from Jan 6 to 9, to complete farmer e-KYC and generate digital farmer registry IDs across all 322 panchayats.The unified, single-window digital identity has been made mandatory for farmers to avail benefits under schemes such as PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Card, and various crop assistance and subsidy programmes.During a review of the drive, officials were directed to speed up registrations through micro-planning and wide awareness campaigns, including village-level announcements. The farmer registry ID integrates Aadhaar data with land records, allowing farmers to apply for multiple schemes without repeatedly submitting physical documents.Apart from administrative ease, the system aims to improve transparency by eliminating middlemen and preventing the inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries. Registered farmers will be able to access disaster compensation for crop damage more easily, receive customised agricultural advisories on mobile phones, and connect directly with the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) for better price discovery.The digital registry is also expected to fast-track bank credit, as land ownership details (Jamabandi) and identity verification are pre-validated within the system.To complete registration at panchayat-level camps, farmers must carry their Aadhaar card, a mobile phone for OTP verification, and online Jamabandi records in their name.The administration has warned of strict disciplinary action, including suspension and show-cause notices, against staff found negligent or absent during the drive.