To give a boost to the mechanisation of agriculture and to overcome the shortage of farm labourers, the state government proposed to give transplanters and harvesters at 50 per cent subsidy to either farmers or women's groups for the ensuing kharif for agricultural operations. The agriculture minister, Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy, told newsmen here on Monday that the automobile giant, Mahindra and Mahindra, was entrusted with the responsibility of manufacturing transplaters and harvesters to suit the delta area with small land holdings and added that machines which are available at present were meant for large tracts. The minister said that at present, farmers were given 50 per cent subsidy subject to a ceiling of only Rs 30,000, and added that the government was now planning to make changes in subsidy policy and provide 50 per cent subsidy of the total cost of the machine without imposing any ceiling. The subsidy amount would be given either to farmers or to self-help group women. The minister said that a team sent to Kerala to study farm mechanisation gave a positive report where women's groups were involved in mechanisation of agriculture with subsidy component, and added that if a mandal had two harvesters and transplaters, it would help farmers there to overcome the crisis of non-availability of farm labourers preoccupied in works pertaining to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The minister said that any teething problems in farm mechanisation would be sorted out once the scheme was executed. The agriculture minister announced that the Polam Badi programme would be held at the panchayat level in the state and added that committees would be formed with sarpanches and mandal parishad territorial constituency members to ensure that that it was beneficial to farmers. The government was planning to take up 100 per cent usage of organic manure in select mandals on an experimental basis in the state, the minister said and added that after identifying mandals with more livestock, they would take up the programme.