The state agriculture department issued a notification from the Gujarat government that farmers in the state can get up to Rs 1,500 for purchasing a smartphone. The scheme is intended to encourage farmers to buy smartphones which could be used for various purposes to increase their farm income, at a time when the prevalence of digital services in the field of agriculture is growing every day, it said.
Any landholding farmer in Gujarat can apply for the assistance of 10 per cent of the total cost of a smartphone not exceeding Rs 1,500 on the i-khedut portal to avail of the benefits of this scheme, said the Government Resolution GR issued by the state's Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation department on Saturday.
The assistance is only valid for the cost of the phone and not for any other accessories such as power backup device, earphones, charger, etc. It said something.
All landholding farmers are eligible for this scheme, but only one beneficiary in a joint holding farm will be eligible.
A farmer can access information regarding weather forecast, possible pest infestation, various schemes of the agriculture department, modern farm techniques and expert opinion, etc., through the use of the smartphone. It said something.
The GR said that the smartphone can be used by farmers to apply online for various schemes of the state government meant for them by using phone facilities such as camera, email, texts and multimedia services, GPS, web browser, internet connectivity, and others.
The beneficiary farmers will have to provide a copy of the purchase bill of the phone, mobile IMEI number, a cancelled cheque, etc. when the application is approved.