Centre Allows Exemption of Non-farming Lands From Digital Crop Survey
Since the launch of the e-Panta app on July 15, 1.59 crore land parcels have been registered, achieving 55 per cent completion
VIJAYAWADA: The Central government has granted key flexibility in the ongoing Digital Crop Survey (DCS) under the e-Panta programme, allowing the exclusion of fallow lands, aqua farming areas, and non-agricultural zones from the digital registration process.
Director of Agriculture Dr Manazir Jilaani Samoon announced that the decision aims to expedite the completion of e-Panta registration for the Kharif-2025 season, as the October 30 deadline approaches.
Samoon directed district agriculture officers to ensure all field staff complete the registration within the stipulated period. He clarified that lands unsuitable or inaccessible for survey—such as roads, canals, and built-up areas—will now be exempt from the process.
Following Central guidelines issued in July, the State Agriculture Department downloaded 2.92 crore land parcels from Rythu Seva Kendras (RSKs) for survey purposes.
According to district-wise progress, Prakasam leads with 71 per cent completion, followed by Kakinada (68 per cent) and Anantapur (67 per cent). Visakhapatnam (33 per cent), ASR (38 per cent), and Anakapalli (39 per cent) remain at the lower end.
Since the launch of the e-Panta app on July 15, 1.59 crore land parcels have been registered, achieving 55 per cent completion. Of the remaining 1.33 crore parcels, most are non-cultivable or inaccessible, with only a small share under active cultivation.
Samoon said that during a review meeting at the state Secretariat with Agristack chief officer Rajeev Chawla, the State’s request to exempt non-cultivable and non-agricultural lands was approved. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has since developed a new application module for RSKs to identify and record such lands within two days, citing valid reasons for exemption.
