Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to prepare a comprehensive and transparent database of farmers by December this year to ensure that government support through ‘Farmer Card’ reaches genuine beneficiaries.

He also instructed the authorities to complete the database through a proper verification process to safeguard farmers’ rights.

The directives came at a meeting on the Farmer Card programme held at the Prime Minister’s Office at the secretariat, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

He said the prime minister also instructed the authorities to ensure that the Farmer Card, featuring the holder’s photograph and a QR code, contains information on the farmer’s identity, agricultural production, government assistance and agricultural market-related services.

He asked the authorities concerned to consider these features while designing and issuing the cards.

The meeting was informed that the process of opening bank accounts for farmers has already begun and that the cards will be distributed in phases after completing the necessary preparations.

The Farmer Card has been introduced to ensure that government subsidies, concessional agricultural loans, incentives and other support are delivered quickly and efficiently to genuine farmers.

A total of 43 lakh farmers are expected to receive the cards during the current fiscal year, while the government plans to bring nearly 2 crore farmers across the country under the programme over the next three years.