What Happened
- The tied portion under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) is being expanded to include "Right of Way" as an eligible component.
- Farmer IDs generated under the Digital Agriculture Mission (AgriStack) are being linked to land records to create verified, tamper-proof digital identities for farmers.
- The integration enables states to use SASCI funds for infrastructure that facilitates agri-tech access, including connectivity corridors through agricultural land.
- Linking Farmer ID to land records ensures only genuine landholding farmers can access government scheme benefits, reducing duplication and fraud.
Static Topic Bridges
Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI)
SASCI is a central government scheme that provides interest-free, 50-year loans to state governments for capital expenditure. First announced in the Union Budget 2020-21, the scheme was expanded significantly in subsequent budgets. It has two components: a tied portion earmarked for specific reform-linked outcomes, and an untied portion that states can deploy flexibly across sectors for capital asset creation.
- Nature: Interest-free loans from Centre to states (50-year repayment)
- Two components: Tied (sector-specific, reform-linked) and Untied (flexible capital expenditure)
- Untied component in recent years: approximately ₹30,000 crore for flexible capital expenditure
- Purpose: To boost state-level capital expenditure and crowd-in private investment
- Administered by: Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance
Connection to this news: Expanding the tied portion to include "Right of Way" allows states to build the infrastructure backbone — such as fibre connectivity through agricultural zones — needed to operationalise agri-tech services on ground, using SASCI funds as a financing vehicle.
Digital Agriculture Mission and AgriStack
Approved by the Cabinet in September 2024 with an outlay of ₹2,817 crore (central share: ₹1,940 crore), the Digital Agriculture Mission aims to build a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Indian agriculture. Its core is AgriStack — comprising three foundational registries: the Farmers' Registry (Farmer ID), the Geo-Referenced Village Maps, and the Crop Sown Registry. The Farmer ID functions as an agriculture-sector Aadhaar — a unique digital identity for every farmer.
- Cabinet approval: September 2024, outlay ₹2,817 crore
- Target: 11 crore Farmer IDs by 2026-27 (6 crore in FY25, 3 crore in FY26, 2 crore in FY27)
- Progress: Over 9.18 crore Farmer IDs generated as of March 2026 across 19 states
- Three registries: Farmers' Registry, Geo-Referenced Village Maps, Crop Sown Registry
- Pilots conducted in: Uttar Pradesh (Farrukhabad), Gujarat (Gandhinagar), Maharashtra (Beed), Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu
Connection to this news: Linking Farmer ID to land records — via integration with state land record systems (like Bhulekh) — transforms the Farmer ID from a simple identifier into a verified ownership record, the essential prerequisite for targeted scheme delivery.
Right of Way in Infrastructure Context
Right of Way (RoW) refers to the legal right to pass through or use a strip of land owned by another party — typically the government or a private owner. In digital infrastructure, RoW clearances are critical for laying optical fibre cables across agricultural and rural land to enable last-mile connectivity. Delays in RoW permissions have historically been the single largest bottleneck for rural broadband expansion under BharatNet.
- Key legislation: Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (as amended); Right of Way Rules, 2016
- BharatNet project: Aims to connect all gram panchayats via optical fibre — RoW issues have delayed progress significantly
- States charge varying RoW fees, creating patchwork connectivity
- Inclusion of RoW in SASCI tied portion would allow states to fund RoW-related infrastructure (conduit laying, land compensation) for agri-connectivity
Connection to this news: By classifying RoW infrastructure as an eligible activity under SASCI's tied component, the government is creating a funding pathway that allows states to resolve connectivity bottlenecks specifically in agricultural zones to operationalise digital agri-services.
Key Facts & Data
- Digital Agriculture Mission outlay: ₹2,817 crore (Centre: ₹1,940 crore)
- Farmer IDs generated: 9.18 crore as of March 2026 (target: 11 crore by FY27)
- AgriStack connects Farmer ID, land records, and bank accounts into a single digital identity
- SASCI untied component: ~₹30,000 crore in recent allocations for flexible state capex
- Over 22 states have API-based integration for land record verification
- BharatNet: India's largest rural broadband programme connecting gram panchayats via optical fibre