New Delhi: More than Rs 3.70 lakh crore have been disbursed to over 11 crore farmer families in the country through 20 instalments under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme to date, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The benefits of the scheme are being provided to those farmers whose land details are seeded in the PM KISAN portal, who have bank accounts seeded with Aadhaar, and eKYC is completed.
In order to provide income support to all landholding farmers’ families with cultivable land in the country, the Central Government launched the PM-KISAN scheme on February 24, 2019. The scheme offers annual financial assistance of Rs. 6,000 to each eligible farmer family, delivered in three equal instalments of Rs. 2,000 e, into their Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of farmers through DBT mode.
A significant saturation drive, launched in November 2023 under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, added over 1 crore eligible farmers to the scheme.
An additional 25 lakh farmers were included within the first 100 days of the subsequent government in June 2024. As a result, the number of beneficiaries receiving the 18th instalment increased to 9.59 crore, the statement observed.
A special drive was conducted from September 21, 2024, to clear the self-registration pending cases. Under the drive since its inception, over 30 lakh pending self-registration cases have been approved by the State/UT.
This scheme stands out as one of the largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiatives globally, underscoring its monumental impact on facilitating financial support directly to the beneficiaries. With a commitment to inclusivity, it dedicates over 25 per cent of its benefits to women beneficiaries.
A major factor behind the success of the scheme is India’s robust digital infrastructure. With the integration of Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar, and mobile phones, every component of the scheme operates seamlessly online.
Farmers can self-register, land records are digitally verified, and payments are transferred directly to their bank accounts. State governments have also played a crucial role in ensuring smooth implementation, helping create a unified and farmer-friendly delivery system.
The scheme has further inspired the development of digital innovations such as Kisan eMitra, a voice-based chatbot, and AgriStack, which aims to provide farmers with personalised and timely advisory services. Together, these advancements are helping to modernise Indian agriculture and prepare it for the future, the statement added.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Rs 18,000 crore to farmers across the country through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system as part of the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
(IANS)
