Various Awards and Personal Benefit Schemes Provided from the Zilla Parishad Cess”

Date : 01/04/2024 -

Purpose: Every year, farmers, women farmers, agricultural journalist groups, and institutions who have made remarkable contributions to the agricultural sector in the state are honored with various awards. The procedure for submitting proposals for these awards, the guiding instructions, and the types of awards are as follows:

Types of Agricultural Awards:

Dr. J.K. Basu Organic Farming Award
Late Yashwantrao Chavan Horticulture Farming Award
Late Yashwantrao Chavan Floriculture Farming Award
Late Yashwantrao Chavan Dairy Farming Award

Committees for Award Evaluation and Inspection:

Taluka Level Selection Committee:

Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee – Chairman
Livestock Development Officer (Headquarters) – Member
Mandal Agricultural Officer (Relevant Mandal) – Member
Agricultural Officer, Panchayat Committee – Member Secretary

District Level Selection Committee:

Chief Executive Officer, District Council Satara – Chairman
Additional Chief Executive Officer, District Council Satara – Member
District Animal Husbandry Officer, District Council Satara – Member
Program Coordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Borgao / Kalwade (Relevant Taluka) – Member Secretary
Agricultural Development Officer, District Council Satara – Member

From the year 1999-2000, the District Council Satara has been honoring farmers who have made remarkable contributions to organic farming with the Dr. J.K. Basu Organic and Modern Farming Award. Based on suggestions from farmers and honorable office bearers in the district to expand the scope of these awards, the District Council has introduced separate agricultural awards from the year 2024-25 onwards for farmers making notable contributions in organic farming, fruit crops, floriculture, and dairy farming. Additionally, a separate budget heading has been created in the District Council’s 2024-25 budget for disbursement of the prize amount for these awards.

Procedure and Guidelines for Awards:

Dr. J.K. Basu Organic Farming Award: Farmers who have made notable contributions in organic farming will be honored by the District Council with this award. Interested farmers must submit their proposals through the Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee, along with the required documents. The District Council will select three individuals for this award.

Award Structure:

First Prize: ₹25,000/-, a memento, a certificate of honor, a shawl, a coconut, a bouquet, and a felicitation of the winner and their spouse

Second Prize: ₹15,000/-

Third Prize: ₹10,000/-

Criteria for the Award:

The individual’s work in organic farming must be notable, and the individual must be an active farmer with land registered in their name.

Preference will be given to individuals with at least 5-10 years of experience in organic farming.

The individual’s work in organic farming must be inspirational and directional to other farmers in the area.

Comprehensive consideration will be given to the individual’s agricultural production, agricultural expansion, export, agricultural processing/crop rotation, use of advanced technology in organic farming, and their social standing.

Government employees or those retired from government or cooperative institutions are not eligible for this award.

Late Yashwantrao Chavan Horticulture Farming Award: Farmers who have made notable contributions in horticulture farming will be honored by the District Council with this award. Interested farmers must submit their proposals through the Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee, along with the required documents. The District Council will select three individuals for this award.

Award Structure:

First Prize: ₹25,000/-, a memento, a certificate of honor, a shawl, a coconut, a bouquet, and a felicitation of the winner and their spouse

Second Prize: ₹15,000/-

Third Prize: ₹10,000/-

Criteria for the Award:

The individual’s work in horticulture farming must be notable, and the individual must be an active farmer with land registered in their name.

Preference will be given to individuals with at least 5-10 years of experience in horticulture farming.

The individual’s work in horticulture farming must be inspirational and directional to other farmers in the area.

Government employees or those retired from government or cooperative institutions are not eligible for this award.

Late Yashwantrao Chavan Floriculture Farming Award:Farmers who have made notable contributions in floriculture farming will be honored by the District Council with this award. Interested farmers must submit their proposals through the Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee, along with the required documents. The District Council will select three individuals for this award.

Award Structure:

First Prize: ₹25,000/-, a memento, a certificate of honor, a shawl, a coconut, a bouquet, and a felicitation of the winner and their spouse

Second Prize: ₹15,000/-

Third Prize: ₹10,000/-

Criteria for the Award:

The individual’s work in floriculture farming must be notable, and the individual must be an active farmer with land registered in their name.

Preference will be given to individuals with at least 5-10 years of experience in floriculture farming.

The individual’s work in floriculture farming must be inspirational and directional to other farmers in the area.

Government employees or those retired from government or cooperative institutions are not eligible for this award.

Late Yashwantrao Chavan Dairy Farming Award:Farmers who have made notable contributions in the dairy farming business will be honored by the District Council with this award. Interested farmers must submit their proposals through the Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee, along with the required documents. The District Council will select three individuals for this award.

Award Structure:

First Prize: ₹25,000/-, a memento, a certificate of honor, a shawl, a coconut, a bouquet, and a felicitation of the winner and their spouse

Second Prize: ₹15,000/-

Third Prize: ₹10,000/-

Criteria for the Award:

The individual’s work in the dairy farming business must be notable, and the individual must be an active farmer with land registered in their name.

Preference will be given to individuals with at least 5-10 years of experience in the dairy farming business.

The individual’s work in the dairy farming business must be inspirational and directional to other farmers in the area.

Government employees or those retired from government or cooperative institutions are not eligible for this award.

Procedure for Preparing and Submitting Proposals for Various Awards:

To receive the maximum and high-quality proposals for awards at the district level, proposals should be submitted at the taluka level through the Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee office.

Upon receiving the guiding instructions, publicity should be done through district-level newspapers and other media to receive maximum proposals from eligible candidates.

All proposals should be scrutinized at the Panchayat Committee level, and an on-site visit to the relevant candidate’s farm should be made by the taluka-level committee. The evaluation should be completed promptly, and all proposals should be submitted to the district-level committee.

Specific forms (Form-A, Form-1, and Form-1.1) have been established for submitting proposals.

Form-A is common for all awards and requires the Group Development Officer, Panchayat Committee, to submit general information about the relevant candidate.

Form-1 should be filled out by the relevant candidate, providing details of their work related to the award. This form is specific to each award.

Form-1.1 should be completed by the taluka-level committee after an on-site visit and should include signatures from all members of the taluka-level committee.

Ensure that all information in the relevant forms is filled out completely, and that all necessary signatures are obtained before submitting the proposal to the district-level committee.

Obtain an affidavit stating that the proposed farmer is not employed by the government or a government-affiliated institution and is not a retired government employee. Verification should be done by the sarpanch and gramsevak of the relevant village.

Attach copies of 7/12 and 8/A records to the proposal. Also, include a passport-size photo of the candidate, with their short name and mobile number written on the back, and submit it in an envelope. The proposal should be spiral bound, and color photographs, newspaper clippings, and copies of previously received award certificates should be included with the proposal.

Submit two copies of the proposal; only one original copy should be submitted to the district-level committee, while the other copy should be retained at the Panchayat Committee level.

Upon receiving the proposals, the district-level committee should organize an on-site visit to the relevant candidate’s farm and evaluate them using Form-1.1.

Consolidate the scores given by the taluka and district-level committees and prepare a comparative table to finalize the ranking for each award.

The final ranking of each award should be determined with the consent of all members of the district-level committee, and the winners should be honored ceremoniously by dignitaries.

Farmers in Satara district who have made notable contributions to organic farming and used modern technology to increase production can participate in this selection process. The award is given solely by the District Council of Satara and is distributed every year on July 1st.

Dr. J.K. Basu was an internationally renowned soil scientist. From 1925 to 1940, he conducted soil surveys and classified soil types for sugarcane cultivation at the Central Sugarcane Research Center in Padegaon, Western Maharashtra. Based on these surveys, he determined the spacing between rows, irrigation methods, varieties of sugarcane, and fertilizer rates for different soil types.

Maharashtra was the first state in India to conduct such soil surveys. As a result of Dr. Basu’s recommendations, sugarcane production increased, benefiting many farmers. The foundation of soil survey work in Maharashtra was laid during Dr. Basu’s tenure.

In 1999-2000, Dr. J.K. Basu’s son, Mr. Ratikant Basu, visited Satara district with his family. During his visit to the Padegaon Sugarcane Research Center, he expressed his wish to help farmers in memory of Dr. J.K. Basu. Consequently, the idea of the Dr. J.K. Basu Organic and Modern Farming Award was accepted by the Basu family, and they donated ₹1 lakh to the District Council as a permanent fund for this award.

A selection committee chaired by the District Council President has been established to select individuals/institutions for this award. The award amount is given in cash to the selected farmers from the interest earned on the permanent fund deposited with the District Council.

Agricultural Tourism Center Training under the Innovative Scheme:

Satara district is known for tourism, but the agricultural sector can also become a tourism destination. This led to the emergence of the concept of “Agricultural Tourism.” The features of this scheme are as follows:

Training organized by the Agricultural Science Center.

Workshops organized at the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation regarding agriculture-affiliated departments.

Plan to promote agricultural tourism through the district council’s self-funding.

Promotion of Satara Organic Initiative under the Innovative Scheme:

After the Green Revolution in India, the use of improved and hybrid seeds increased to boost food and agricultural production. Farmers began using irrigation facilities, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides extensively for higher yields. Initially, the response to chemical fertilizers led to a significant increase in agricultural production. However, competition among farmers to maximize production from limited land led to excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. The adverse effects have become evident in recent years, resulting in deteriorating soil health and toxic residues in crops, causing serious health issues for people.

As a remedial measure, adopting organic farming practices has become essential. To emphasize the importance of organic farming, highlight the health benefits of organic agricultural products, promote poison-free food, and provide market access for organic produce, the District Council of Satara has been implementing the innovative “Satara Organic” initiative since 2015-16. This initiative includes appointing 32 farmers practicing organic farming in the taluka as expert guides. Under this initiative, school students are organized for field trips to see and experience various concepts of organic farming firsthand at the farmers’ fields. As compensation for guiding school students, these guides receive subsidies as an honorarium from the agricultural department. Various responsibilities have been assigned to the appointed expert guides under the scheme.

Distribution of Bicycle Hoes to Farmers with Subsidy: To facilitate intercultural operations and weed control in crops, bicycle hoes are distributed to farmers with a 50% subsidy. Priority is given to small and marginal landholding farmers, women farmers, disabled farmers, and farmers from backward classes.
Scheme to Encourage Agricultural Tourism for Farmers:

Satara district is a unique district with a rich historical and geographical heritage. The western part of the district has the Sahyadri mountain ranges, forests, and the origins of rivers, along with numerous temples. The eastern part consists of a vast plateau region.

The district has diverse cropping patterns, ranging from bajra (pearl millet) to strawberries, rice, and sugarcane. The district’s unique geographical conditions are favorable for agricultural tourism, providing farmers with excellent supplementary business opportunities. Recognizing this, Satara Zilla Parishad initiated a novel scheme in 2014-15 to promote agricultural tourism, allocating funds from the district’s own resources.

Farmers interested in this business were brought together and informed about the assistance/coordination expected from the Zilla Parishad. It was observed that interested farmers need technical and in-depth training in agricultural tourism. To successfully run agricultural tourism businesses, center operators require thorough training. Therefore, from 2014-15, the Satara Zilla Parishad started providing residential training at the Agricultural Science Center, Baramati, for farmers who wish to set up agricultural tourism centers. The training for participating farmers is funded by the Zilla Parishad.

Since 2014-15, over a hundred farmers have received residential training at Baramati. Additionally, regional agricultural officers at the taluka level were involved in this training, ensuring that farmers at the taluka level receive information about agricultural tourism. This training provided trainees with in-depth guidance on various topics related to agricultural tourism by experts.

To facilitate the exchange of experiences while conducting agricultural tourism businesses, the Zilla Parishad organizes a monthly discussion session for agricultural tourism center operators in the district. This session includes in-depth discussions on the challenges and solutions within this business. The initiative to arrange regional visits for interested center operators to successful agricultural tourism centers, both within and outside the district, was started in 2016-17.

Currently, there are no government schemes specifically for agricultural tourism. However, the Zilla Parishad is taking the initiative to provide benefits of governmental schemes related to fruit orchards, vermiculture projects, silk industry, farm ponds, nurseries, etc., to agricultural tourism holders.

To encourage agricultural tourism, the Zilla Parishad has been honoring the best agricultural tourism center operators with the Agricultural Tourism Honor Award since 2015-16. In 2013-14, only 5-6 agricultural tourism centers were started in the district. However, due to the Zilla Parishad’s initiative, 86 agricultural tourism centers were registered with the Maharashtra Agricultural Tourism Development Corporation, out of which 50-60 centers have started operating.

The supplementary business of agricultural tourism has significantly increased the monthly income of farmers in the district. The increase ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹2,50,000 per month, indicating the successful implementation of this business.

Schemes to Encourage Organic Farming for Farmers:

The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been increasing day by day, leading to serious health issues for the general public. It is essential to create widespread awareness among producing farmers and consuming citizens about the adverse effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Addressing this issue is necessary, and promoting organic farming and the purchase of organic products is the only alternative. To tackle this social issue, the “Satara Organic” initiative is being implemented by the Satara Zilla Parishad with the participation of farmers from Satara district.

The “Satara Organic” initiative was inaugurated by the district’s Guardian Minister on August 15, 2015.

Under this initiative, farmers practicing organic farming in the district are brought together, and their identity as organic farming producers is established. Information about the organically produced farm products is collected, and space under the Zilla Parishad’s authority is made available for the sale of organic farm products. Customer information about purchasing organic produce is collected, and coordination between organic farming producers and customers is established to create a producer-consumer chain. These various processes are being implemented by the Zilla Parishad.

To promote and spread awareness of organic farming, the Zilla Parishad has appointed organic farming coordinators at the taluka level. These coordinators organize one-day workshops and farm tours for other farmers in the district, providing guidance on organic farming. The coordinator’s farm, where the workshop is organized, receives ₹7,500 per workshop from the Zilla Parishad funds for honorarium and expenses for refreshments and meals for attendees.

Realizing the importance of teaching the significance of organic farming and related concepts to school students, the Zilla Parishad organizes field trips for primary school students to the farms of organic farming coordinators. For this, an honorarium of ₹1,000 is provided to the coordinator from the Zilla Parishad funds.

To provide scientific information on various concepts of organic farming to students and coordinators, the Zilla Parishad has created a booklet with concise, illustrated information on all organic farming concepts. The Zilla Parishad has distributed 3,000 copies of this booklet.

Additionally, farmers who have done remarkable work in organic farming are honored with the Dr. J.K. Basu Organic and Modern Farming Award on Agriculture Day, July 1, each year. The award includes a cash prize, a certificate, a trophy, and a bouquet, presented by dignitaries.

Scheme to Encourage Beekeeping for Farmers from the District Council Cess Funds for 2024-25:

Terms and Conditions:

The beneficiary must be at least 18 years old, a farmer, and have an 8/12 extract in their name. The beneficiary must have fruit trees, vegetable crops, flower crops, pulses, oilseeds, or cereal crops suitable for beekeeping, as well as wild plants suitable for beekeeping within their own land or surrounding area.

Of the total applications received, priority will be given based on categories as follows: SC 15%, ST 7.5%, Women 30%, Disabled 5%, and the remaining others.

Proposals of eligible beneficiaries submitted through the Group Development Officer and Panchayat Samiti must be approved by the District Council Resolution Committee. If more applications are received than the approved target/budget, a lottery will be conducted at the Panchayat Samiti level to prepare a seniority list for the scheme, and this list must be approved by the District Council Resolution Committee.

Beneficiaries from the approved list at the taluka level must receive prior approval from the Group Development Officer or Agricultural Officer, and the beneficiaries should be instructed to purchase 5 subsidized beehive units (including necessary materials and colonies) from the District Khadi and Village Industries Officer, Satara/Madh Directorate, Mahabaleshwar. Beneficiaries must pay their share for the beehives at the Khadi and Village Industries Office, Satara, and undergo initial training through the office.

Upon presenting the certificate of completion of necessary training from the Madh Directorate, Mahabaleshwar, beneficiaries will be eligible for a subsidy for a maximum of 5 beehive units (including necessary materials and colonies) under the District Council scheme.

The price and subsidy rate for each type of beehive unit are as follows:

Sr. No. Type of Beehive and Bee Colony Price per Unit (₹) Total Price for 5 Units (₹) Subsidy Given by Khadi Gramodyog for 5 Units (₹) Subsidy Given by District Council for 5 Units (₹) Total Subsidy (₹)

Mellifera Colony with Wild Beehive Unit 3,930/- 19,650/- 9,825/- 9,825/- 19,650/-
Satheeri Colony with Wild Beehive Unit 5,400/- 27,000/- 13,500/- 13,500/- 27,000/-
Satheeri Colony with Timber Beehive Unit 6,700/- 33,500/- 16,750/- 16,750/- 33,500/-
Mellifera Wild Empty Beehive Unit 1,980/- 9,900/- 4,950/- 4,950/- 9,900/-
Satheeri Wild Empty Beehive Unit 2,400/- 12,000/- 6,000/- 6,000/- 12,000/-
Satheeri Timber Empty Beehive Unit 3,700/- 18,500/- 9,250/- 9,250/- 18,500/-

Beneficiaries can choose any type of beehive unit listed above, and the subsidy will be given accordingly.

District Council subsidy is provided for a maximum of 5 beehive units per beneficiary. The subsidy will be given after the beneficiary purchases the beehives from the District Khadi and Village Industries Officer, Satara/Madh Directorate, Mahabaleshwar, and submits proof of purchase and training completion.

Subsidies under the scheme will be directly transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through DBT (Direct Benefit)

Beneficiary:

Farmers of Rural Areas

Benefits:

As per above

How To Apply

Submit an application to the Panchayat Samiti office