PM Modi Unveils Rs 20,000 Crore PM-KISAN Instalment & Boosts Farm Infrastructure

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 18th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, worth over Rs 20,000 crore, to benefit 9.4 crore farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer. The event in Maharashtra marks the PM-KISAN Utsav Divas. Modi will also inaugurate farm infrastructure projects and promote clean energy initiatives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to launch the 18th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Saturday, during a ceremony in Washim, Maharashtra. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying announced that this instalment, exceeding Rs 20,000 crore, will benefit over 9.4 crore farmers nationwide via Direct Benefit Transfer, eliminating intermediaries.

Celebrated as PM-KISAN Utsav Divas across India, approximately 2.5 crore farmers are anticipated to partake in the event through webcasts from more than 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, one lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and five lakh Common Service Centres. Initiated in February 2019, the PM-KISAN scheme annually grants Rs 6,000 to landowning farmers in three parts. With this 18th instalment, disbursement under the scheme will cross Rs 3.45 lakh crore, aiding over 11 crore farmers nationwide.

Maharashtra's share in this disbursement equates to Rs 32,000 crore benefiting around 1.20 crore farmers, with 91.51 lakh farmers receiving over Rs 1,900 crore in this instalment. Additionally, the Prime Minister will allocate Rs 2,000 crore to Maharashtra's farmers under the fifth instalment of the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana.

In a bid to enhance agricultural infrastructure, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate projects under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund completed within the first 100 days of the new government. Launched in 2020, this fund provides medium- to long-term financing to bolster post-harvest management and community farming facilities.

Boasting over 10,066 sanctioned projects nationwide, more than 7,500 have been finalized. These initiatives are pivotal in enhancing storage, processing, and logistics capacities for farmers, fostering better value addition and market accessibility. Moreover, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will gain from Modi's dedication of around 9,200 FPOs formed under a Central Sector Scheme, targeting the creation of 10,000 FPOs across the country.

These FPOs, with a cumulative annual turnover of Rs 1,300 crore, assist 24 lakh farmers, including 8.3 lakh women and 5.77 lakh SC and ST beneficiaries. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to uplift small, marginal, and landless farmers by augmenting market access and fortifying value chains.

The Prime Minister will also introduce new initiatives aimed at augmenting dairy farming. An indigenous sex-sorted semen production technology intended to reduce expenses for farmers will be unveiled alongside the Gau Chip for cattle and Mahish Chip for buffaloes. These genomic tools will enable farmers to select high-quality animals, enhancing dairy productivity and sector efficiency.

Aligning with India's clean energy objectives, Prime Minister Modi will spearhead the e-Distribution of Letters of Award for 3,000 MW under the KUSUM-C (MSKVY 2.0) scheme, advocating solar energy for agricultural purposes. Part of this initiative involves the inauguration of five solar parks with a combined capacity of 19 MW. These facilities, in Dhondalgaon, Bamni Bk., Kondgiri, Jalalabad, and Palshi Bk., grant farmers daytime electricity access, elevating energy access while affording farmers additional income opportunities through land leasing for solar installations.

(With inputs from agencies.)