Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off the implementation of Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), the scheme announced in the interim budget 2019-20, during his visit to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, February 24. PM Modi will distribute the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to over one crore farmers. Another one crore farmers are expected to be covered in the next two to three days.
The Opposition leaders, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, said that the speedy implementation of the scheme was only in view of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The leaders even alleged that the money translates to a meagre Rs 3.3 a day per person for a family of five.
He will launch the scheme from the Fertilizer Corporation of India ground by pressing a button to electronically transfer the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to selected farmers, a government statement said.
In the interim Budget 2019-20, the central government had announced the PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land of up to two hectares.
The amount will be given in three instalments of Rs 2,000 each and will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme.
The DBT will ensure transparency in the process and save time for farmers. The Scheme was introduced to augment the income of small and marginal farmers and is estimated to benefit over 12 crore farmers.
The Prime Minister will also distribute certificates to select farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme and interact with select beneficiaries of through video conferencing.
"The PM-KISAN scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of small and marginal farmers in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields, commensurate with the anticipated farm income at the end of each crop cycle. This would also protect them from falling in the clutches of moneylenders for meeting such expenses and ensure their continuance in farming activities," said the statement.
The PM-KISAN is a scheme with 100 per cent funding from the central government. It became effective on December 1, 2018 for transfer of benefit to eligible beneficiaries.
"The state governments and the UT administration will identify the farmer families, which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines," it said.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation, various development projects in Gorakhpur.
(Inputs from agencies)
