Government does not detail farmer complaints on Aadhaar failures in fertilizer subsidy

The question asked the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to explain how fertilizer subsidies are released under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, address complaints regarding authentication and supply delays, and provide data on subsidy disbursements and fertilizer quantities supplied to Maharashtra.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Mohite Patil Dhairyasheel Rajsinh and Dr. C M Ramesh; Answered by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (Minister of State Smt. Anupriya Patel).

What the government said

• 100% fertilizer subsidy is released to companies based on actual sales verified via Aadhaar authentication through Point of Sale (PoS) devices.
• Sales are conducted on a 'no denial' basis, ensuring all eligible farmers, including tenant farmers, receive subsidized fertilizers.
• Total gross fertilizer subsidy disbursed by the government was Rs. 1,95,420.51 Crore in 2023-24, Rs. 1,77,129.50 Crore in 2024-25, and Rs. 2,17,175.73 Crore in 2025-26.
• A monthly ceiling of 50 bags per buyer is enforced to curb diversion, except in Jammu & Kashmir where the limit is 60 bags per season.
• The 'Framework for Fertilizer Sale' is being piloted in 56 districts across 22 states, selling fertilizer based on General Fertilizer Recommendations (GFR) and land area.
• Subsidy claims are processed weekly on a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis.
• Maharashtra received 31.06 LMT of Urea, 8.93 LMT of DAP, 2.18 LMT of MOP, and 34.08 LMT of NPKS in 2023-24; figures for 2024-25 and 2025-26 are also provided in the annexure.

Also in the document

• The government did not provide specific details or statistics regarding complaints from farmers or retailers about Aadhaar failures, poor connectivity, or biometric mismatches, as requested in part (b) of the question.
• The answer states that alternative authentication mechanisms are provided under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016, but does not specify what those alternative modes are beyond the legal reference.