Farmers in Nashik’s Devla taluka have alleged that they are being asked to pay ₹100 for each land holding during e-crop inspections, with some claiming that inspections are being refused or left incomplete when payments are not made.
The allegations, reported by Sakal – Pune, concern the e-crop inspection process used to record details of crops cultivated on agricultural land. Farmers said the alleged demand was being made for each 7/12 land record extract, commonly known as a Satbara extract. A farmer with four or five land holdings could therefore face a total payment of ₹400 to ₹500, according to the report.
Ganesh Bhadane, a farmer from Kapshi, told the publication that crop inspection assistants were citing fuel expenses while seeking the money. Farmers alleged that some groups or land parcels were left without complete entries when they did not pay. The claims have triggered anger in the taluka, particularly as farmers are already facing financial pressure because of inadequate rainfall during the kharif season.
The dispute centres on whether farmers are being made to pay for a process that is already supported through government payments to crop inspection assistants. Farmers have demanded an inquiry, action against those responsible and an assurance that no inspection will be left incomplete because a farmer cannot or does not pay extra money.
Bhagwan Jadhav, district coordinator of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers’ Farmers’ Organisation, alleged that farmers were told to either pay the demanded amount or not get the inspection carried out. According to the report, one farmer’s request to reduce the alleged demand from ₹100 to ₹50 was met with a response that the inspection could be skipped if the amount was unacceptable. Jadhav also alleged that inspections were not being conducted at the fields of farmers who complained.
The allegations have an administrative significance because crop inspection records connect field-level information with the official land and crop-record system. Incomplete or inaccurate entries can create difficulties for farmers when crop conditions and cultivation details need to be documented before authorities take decisions related to agricultural support or verification. The supplied report does not establish whether any farmer has already lost a benefit because of the alleged omissions.
Devla तहसीलदार Milind Kulkarni said action would be taken if a complaint naming the concerned assistant was submitted along with evidence. He said strict instructions had repeatedly been issued to crop inspection assistants and stated that farmers did not need to pay any additional amount. Kulkarni also said farmers could complete the e-crop inspection themselves or with the help of gram panchayat officials.
The तहसीलदार advised farmers facing difficulties to contact the village revenue officers. The next administrative step is the submission and examination of complaints identifying the assistants involved, after which the authorities have said action will depend on the evidence available.
