Ajay Sharma
Reasi, February 23
In an alleged violation of government directives, officials in the Agriculture Department of Reasi district have been accused of sanctioning high-powered tractors to farmers, potentially enabling misuse in non-agricultural activities such as illegal mining.
According to sources, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued an order on July 22, 2025, following a high-level meeting involving ministers and senior officials.
“The directive, relayed through the Director of Agriculture (Jammu), explicitly mandated that subsidies for farm machinery, including tractors, be limited to models below 40 horsepower (HP),” sources said, adding that this restriction was intended to prevent farmers from exploiting subsidized equipment for unauthorized purposes outside agriculture.
Despite these instructions, sources alleged that in December 2025—around six months after the order—a 49.75 HP tractor was approved and distributed in the Pouni subdivision of Reasi district.
The process reportedly involved multiple levels of departmental oversight, starting from form submissions, geo-verification by Junior Agriculture Extension Officers (JAEOs), approval by Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs), sanctioning by the Chief Agriculture Officer, and fund withdrawal by the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).
“The original order was issued under the tenure of former Director Arvind Sharma, who has since retired.
“The directive, being a government mandate, should remain in force regardless of personnel changes. The director has retired after issuing the order, but it remains a government order,” the sources said, adding that it is worth questioning whether the order was effectively “retired” along with the official.
They asserted that there are possibilities of potential personal interests or conflicts among the involved officers.
“What was the interest of these officers in giving tractors above 40 horsepower?” the sources questioned, adding that such violations could not occur without deliberate intent.
Sources further speculated on whether the beneficiary of the high-powered tractor has connections to department officials, urging a deeper probe into possible favoritism.
Similar allegations were reported from other districts, such as Rajouri, where no substantial action was reportedly taken despite inquiries.
The Agriculture Director has indicated that action will be pursued, but skepticism remains about whether investigations will extend beyond paperwork to on-ground enforcement.
“Will the minister take any action on this? Or will our IAS officers take any action?” sources asked, emphasizing the need for accountability to restore integrity in the department.
Meanwhile, locals in the area have requested the Agriculture Minister and Principal Secretary (Agriculture), Shailendra Kumar, to intervene.
