Opposition members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, including Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, on Friday raised the issues of farmers from Sangli district being asked to mention their caste on the Union government's online portal while purchasing chemical fertilizers. The objections and issues raised by the Opposition prompted the ruling side, including Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde, to assure the House that a rectification will be made in the system and the state has communicated with the Union government for the same. Shinde said the Union government will be urged to remove the column from the E-POS portal, where farmers are required to mention their caste while purchasing fertilizers. While raising the issue in the Assembly, Pawar asked why farmers from Sangli are being asked to mention their caste, and demanded action against whoever is responsible for this decision. "A column for providing caste of the farmer has been added in the E-POS software (a central government portal). Now, the farmers are being asked their caste while they are buying fertilisers. If it is not added in the machines, then the receipt is not generated. Why does there have to be a mandatory section of providing caste, that too from farmers for buying the fertilizers," asked Pawar. Chavan also demanded action and a reply on the issue from the government, and said that in the updated version of the portal, a new category has been added where buyers are being asked about their caste. "This is a central government application, which means this system will not be restricted to farmers in Sangli alone and it will be applicable for other parts of the state as well. We want the government to clarify this issue." Stating that the portal is operated by the central government, senior minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the column that asks for the caste of the farmers will be deleted and the state government has communicated to the Centre in this regard. Mungantiwar also criticised the opposition, claiming it was "making a mountain out of a molehill over the issue unnecessarily." The E-POS machine system is operated by the Ministry of Fertilizers of the central government, and it was recently updated, with the caste section added in the system, along with the name of the farmer, mobile number, Aadhaar card number and quantity of chemical fertiliser. Farmers from Sangli district have expressed their anger over this issue.
