Lucknow: Lok Dal has strongly opposed the government’s decision to make Farmer ID mandatory from May 15, 2026, terming it an “authoritarian step” against the interests of farmers.
Lok Dal President Sunil Singh alleged that the move is a new way of depriving farmers of their rightful benefits. He questioned whether farmers would now need official identity verification even to cultivate their own land.
“Will farmers who fail to complete registration on time be denied access to fertilizers, seeds, and government welfare schemes?” Singh asked, calling the decision unjust and equivalent to penalising the farming community.
He further criticised the proposed digital crop survey, describing it as disconnected from ground realities. Singh said that in many rural areas, lack of proper internet connectivity, infrastructure, and training would render the exercise ineffective, turning it into a mere “paper-based formality” that could ultimately harm small and marginal farmers the most.
Warning the government, the Lok Dal chief demanded immediate withdrawal of the compulsory Farmer ID requirement and urged that no farmer should be deprived of government welfare schemes under any circumstances. He also called for improvements in basic rural infrastructure before implementing any large-scale digital initiatives.
“Digital experiments must not be imposed without strengthening ground-level systems,” Singh said, adding that such measures appear disconnected from the realities of rural India.
He further cautioned that if the decision is not rolled back, Lok Dal will be forced to launch a large-scale agitation from the streets to the legislature alongside farmers.
“The rights of farmers cannot be compromised. Any attempt to weaken them will not be tolerated,” he asserted.
The party reiterated its demand that all policies affecting farmers must be implemented only after adequate consultation and preparedness, ensuring that no section of the farming community is left behind.
