New Delhi, October 19: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday launched an upgraded Agri Welfare Portal that lets farmers find and apply for government schemes on their mobile phones.
The portal brings the ministry’s schemes, subsidies, rules and digital services into one place, so farmers do not have to visit several offices or websites. It links to major programmes including PM-KISAN, AgriStack and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
What farmers get
According to the ministry, farmers can check eligibility online, apply directly and receive financial assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer, which is meant to cut out intermediaries.
The portal will also carry information on weather, farming practices, availability of seeds and fertilisers and market prices. It is designed to work on basic smartphones and on weak internet connections, and supports screen readers for visually impaired users.
Farmer Producer Organisations, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, scientists, researchers and start-ups will also use the same platform.
Keep it simple and updated
Chouhan told officials to keep the information on the portal accurate and up to date, saying outdated details could erode farmers’ trust. He asked that the language and steps be simple enough for small and marginal farmers with limited formal education.
A training campaign will be run through Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country to help farmers use the portal and other digital tools.
The portal follows the Digital Brand Identity Manual 3.0 and the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites 3.0. Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra and officials of the National Informatics Centre attended the launch.