One Time Assistance to Small and Marginal Farmers for Purchase of Small Farm Implements (OTA-SFI), West Bengal
West Bengal state government scheme
One Time Assistance for Small Farm Implements (OTA-SFI) is a West Bengal Agriculture Department subsidy of up to Rs 10,000, or 50 per cent of the indicative price of manually operated implements, whichever is lower. Small and marginal farmers registered under Krishak Bandhu apply on the Matir Katha FMS portal at wbfms.matirkatha.net.
What is OTA-SFI in West Bengal?
One Time Assistance to Small and Marginal Farmers for Purchase of Small Farm Implements (OTA-SFI) is a component of the Farm Mechanization Umbrella Scheme of the Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal. OTA-SFI was launched on 12 February 2013 to help farmers procure the manually operated small farm implements needed for everyday agricultural operations.
OTA-SFI sits at the bottom rung of the state's mechanisation ladder, and that is deliberate. The other components of the umbrella scheme, FSSM for power-operated machinery, and FMB/FMH for machinery banks, assume that the farmer can raise a bank loan and handle a purchase running into lakhs. A marginal farmer with a fraction of a hectare often needs nothing of the sort. What that farmer needs is a sprayer, a weeder, a drum seeder or a chaff cutter, costing a few thousand rupees, and OTA-SFI is built for exactly that scale.
Area of operation. OTA-SFI applies uniformly throughout West Bengal except Kolkata district.
How much assistance does OTA-SFI provide?
OTA-SFI pays a maximum of Rs 10,000, or 50 per cent of the total indicative price of the purchased manually operated machinery or implement, whichever is lower. The subsidy is back-ended. The farmer buys the implement first, and the department then releases the subsidy through DBT into the beneficiary's bank account. No implement is procured by the government itself.
What can be bought. The scheme names manually operated tools such as sprayers, manually operated paddy threshers, cono weeders, weeders, drum seeders, solar light traps, chaff cutters, seed bins, seed trays and seeders. In addition, battery-operated sprayers and PVC pipes for carrying water are eligible under this component even though they are not strictly manual.
How the list works. A list of eligible manually operated implements is given at Annexure-III of the departmental operational guidelines. Before the application window opens, the State Project Management Team (SPMT) publishes on the Matir Katha portal the available models with their indicative price, and the subsidy is calculated on that published price.
Combinations. A farmer may pick a combination of implements from the list within the overall subsidy limit, but no more than two units of the same item. So a household can, for instance, take one sprayer and one cono weeder and a seed bin rather than three identical sprayers.
Approved sellers only. The subsidy applies only to purchases from the farm machinery manufacturers and dealers enlisted on the departmental portal. A purchase from an unlisted shop, however genuine the bill, does not qualify.
Who is eligible for OTA-SFI?
You can apply if:
- You are an individual farmer registered under Krishak Bandhu (Natun), or
- You are a group — SKUS/PACS, FPO, FPC, FIG, a duly graded SHG, LAMPS or a similar body approved or recognised by any government institution or department.
- You are at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
- Your holding falls in the small and marginal category the scheme is meant for, and lies outside Kolkata district.
You cannot apply if:
- You or your spouse received a subsidy under any state farm mechanization scheme, FSSM, OTA-SFI, FMB/FMH or CHC: in the last four years, counted from the release of that last subsidy.
- You are an employee or retired employee of the State Government, a statutory body, a government undertaking, a panchayat, a municipal corporation or municipality, a local body, or a government-aided educational institution.
- You are below 18 years of age.
- You are not registered under Krishak Bandhu (Natun) and are applying as an individual.
What documents are required for OTA-SFI?
| Document | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EPIC / Voter ID card | Yes | Also the FMS portal login ID |
| Aadhaar of applicant and spouse | Yes | For individual applications |
| Active bank account details | Yes | Subsidy is paid by DBT |
| Active mobile number | Yes | OTP and status alerts |
| Land particulars | Yes | As per the Record of Rights |
| Krishak Bandhu ID | Yes | Verify at krishakbandhu.net/farmer_search |
| Implement, model and manufacturer | Yes | From the approved departmental list |
| Passport-size photograph | Yes | With the hard copy at the block office |
How to apply for OTA-SFI
- Watch for the advertisement of the season's window in leading dailies and on the Agriculture Department's website and the Matir Katha portal. Applications are accepted only inside an announced window.
- Go to the FMS portal at wbfms.matirkatha.net, click New Registration, fill in the Applicant Registration form, verify the details and click Sign Up.
- Click Log In, enter your Voter Card number and password, select the season, and sign in.
- Complete the application form, entering your Krishak Bandhu ID, land particulars, and the implements, models and manufacturers or dealers selected from the portal's approved list. Submit, and note the serial number generated by the system.
- Print the application and acknowledgement receipt, attach a recent passport-size photograph and the prescribed documents (self-attested where required), and submit the hard copy to the Assistant Director of Agriculture of your Block within the stipulated period.
The applicant gets one edit option in the specified fields after online submission, but only before the hard copy is submitted at the block office. After that, no edits are permitted.
How are OTA-SFI beneficiaries selected?
Selection is by computerised lottery or random selection, Gram Panchayat-wise, conducted by the District Level Sanctioning Committee (DLSC) with the help of the IT personnel engaged for software maintenance. The lottery produces a priority list from the pool of valid applications.
Because selection is random rather than chronological, the useful preparation is not speed but completeness. A correct Krishak Bandhu ID, a live bank account, a working mobile number and a hard copy delivered on time.
How do I check my OTA-SFI application status?
- Log in to wbfms.matirkatha.net with your Voter Card number, password and the relevant season, and open your application.
- Quote the serial number generated at online submission in every enquiry; the guidelines state that this serial number is to be referred to in all cases.
- For anything the portal does not show, ask the Assistant Director of Agriculture of your block, who holds the hard copy and the verification record.
- Call the Farm Mechanization helpline desk on 8336957298 between 10.00 am and 6.00 pm.
Why OTA-SFI applications get rejected
- No Krishak Bandhu (Natun) registration for an individual applicant.
- Four-year cooling period not completed by the applicant or the spouse under any of FSSM, OTA-SFI, FMB/FMH or CHC.
- Applicant is a serving or retired government or local-body employee.
- Hard copy not submitted to the Block Assistant Director of Agriculture within the stipulated period.
- More than two units of the same implement chosen in one application.
- Purchase from an unlisted dealer, which falls outside the subsidy.
- Inactive bank account or wrong account details, which stops the DBT release even after selection.
Help and grievance redressal for OTA-SFI
- Farm Mechanization helpline desk: 8336957298, 10.00 am to 6.00 pm
- Block level: Assistant Director of Agriculture, who receives and verifies the hard copy
- District level: Deputy Director of Agriculture and the District Level Sanctioning Committee
- Krishak Bandhu ID check: krishakbandhu.net/farmer_search
Applying under OTA-SFI is free. The priority list is generated by a computerised lottery, so no agent or intermediary can arrange a place on it, and the subsidy reaches the beneficiary only through DBT into a bank account in the beneficiary's own name.
Documents required
Frequently asked questions
How much money does OTA-SFI give?
OTA-SFI gives a maximum of Rs 10,000, or 50 per cent of the total indicative price of the manually operated machinery or implement purchased, whichever is lower. The subsidy is paid to the beneficiary as a back-ended subsidy by Direct Benefit Transfer after the purchase.
Which implements can be bought under OTA-SFI?
OTA-SFI covers mostly manually operated tools — sprayers, manually operated paddy threshers, cono weeders, weeders, drum seeders, solar light traps, chaff cutters, seed bins, seed trays and seeders. Battery-operated sprayers and PVC pipes for carrying water are also eligible under this component.
Can I buy more than one implement with the OTA-SFI subsidy?
Yes. A combination of implements from the approved list can be purchased within the subsidy limit, but a maximum of two units of the same item may be chosen by one applicant.
Who is not eligible for OTA-SFI?
Serving or retired employees of the State Government, statutory bodies, government undertakings, panchayats, municipal corporations or municipalities, local bodies and government-aided educational institutions are not eligible. Anyone whose household drew a farm mechanization subsidy within the last four years is also excluded.
Is OTA-SFI a once-in-a-lifetime benefit?
It is a one-time assistance with a four-year bar rather than a lifetime bar. A beneficiary or their spouse cannot apply afresh before four years have passed from the release of the last subsidy under any farm mechanization scheme of the state.
Where do I apply for OTA-SFI?
Apply online on the Farm Mechanization System portal at wbfms.matirkatha.net, then submit the printed application with the acknowledgement receipt and documents to the office of the Assistant Director of Agriculture of your block within the stipulated period.
Is OTA-SFI available in Kolkata?
No. OTA-SFI applies uniformly throughout West Bengal except Kolkata district, the same area of operation as the other components of the Farm Mechanization Umbrella Scheme.
How are OTA-SFI beneficiaries chosen?
By computerised lottery. Valid applications are randomly selected Gram Panchayat-wise by the District Level Sanctioning Committee to prepare a priority list, so that every eligible applicant within a GP has an equal chance.
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