more-inThe public sector Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), the lead fertilizer supplier in the State, has been in the forefront of preparing the ground for the Union government’s plans to launch direct transfer of subsidy benefits to farmers on fertilizer purchases from January 1, 2018. Most of the technical works were completed and most of the ground covered, FACT sources said about its direct efforts to equip fertilizer dealers and retailers with the necessary equipment, awareness and knowledge about the new subsidy regime that has already been rolled out in some States across India. A total of around 2,000 POS machines have been given to retailers and dealers for the new subsidy regime rollout. Sources said that each of the POS machines cost around ₹1,700 each and a total of around 2,000 machines were expected to be established to make the direct subsidy payment a smooth process. Though connectivity was not much of a problem in Kerala, the network tended to be slow in some places, sources said.

Source: The Hindu November 24, 2017 18:56 UTC