Gujarat's PM-Kisan milestone: Over Rs 23,000 crore for farmers

Under the PM-Kisan scheme, over 69.25 lakh farmer families in Gujarat have received direct financial assistance of more than Rs 23,083 crore through 22 instalments, strengthening the state's agricultural sector and empowering farmers.

A new milestone has been achieved in Gujarat's journey of agricultural transformation and farmer empowerment. According to a press release, since its inception, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan) has provided direct financial assistance of more than Rs 23,083 crore to over 69.25 lakh farmer families across the state through 22 instalments, with the funds being transferred directly into their bank accounts.

As Narendra Modi completes 12 years of good governance as the Prime Minister of India, this scheme has emerged as a financial safety net for the country's agricultural sector. At the national level as well, the scheme has achieved unprecedented reach, with more than 11 crore farmers receiving financial assistance exceeding Rs 4.27 lakh crore, enabling the nation's food providers to become economically empowered and self-reliant.

As per the release, the journey in Gujarat began with the first instalment, under which more than 28.65 lakhs farmers received Rs 572.21 crore. Today, after the completion of 22 instalments, the scheme has expanded to benefit over 69.25 lakh farmer families. Most recently, under the 22nd instalment, more than 50.54 lakh farmer families in Gujarat received direct assistance exceeding Rs 1,010 crore in their bank accounts. These figures underscore the growing success of the scheme, which continues to deliver financial assistance to farmers in a transparent and seamless manner.

PM-Kisan: An Economic Safety Shield

Expressing his views on the PM-Kisan Yojana, Gujarat's Agriculture Minister Jitubhai Vaghani stated, "The PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana has provided an economic safety shield to our farmers. This assistance enables small and marginal farmers to obtain financial support for essential agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilisers."

According to the release, farmers often faced financial challenges while purchasing seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides during the Kharif and Rabi sowing seasons, forcing many to borrow from moneylenders and fall into debt. Under the PM-Kisan Yojana, however, the Rs 2,000 instalment provided every four months has become an important source of financial support, helping farmers meet their agricultural expenses on time.

Farmers Share Their Experiences

Farmer Govindbhai Patel from Dashela village in Gandhinagar district says, "The three instalments that the government deposits directly into our bank accounts every year help us purchase fertilisers, seeds, and medicines for farming on time. This financial support enables us to cultivate crops such as groundnut and cotton without worry."

Farmer Rameshbhai Patel says, "Government schemes like this provide strong support to farmers in managing small expenses such as labour, diesel, and maintenance, helping them sustain their farming activities."

Wider Impact and Inclusivity

As per the release, due to this financial support, small and medium-scale farmers in Gujarat have been able to procure high-quality seeds on time, resulting in significant improvements in soil productivity and crop health. Moreover, the Prime Minister's decision to remove the earlier landholding limit of up to two hectares in the larger public interest has ensured that all landholding farmers in the state can now benefit from this equal economic support.

Ensuring Transparency Through Technology

One of the most significant and fundamental features of this scheme is that it leaves no room for middlemen or corruption, with 100 per cent of the assistance being transferred directly to farmers' accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The government has made robust use of technology to ensure complete transparency and guarantee that benefits reach genuine farmers, said the release.

In this regard, verification of digital land records, known as "land seeding," was made mandatory from the 12th instalment onwards. Subsequently, Aadhaar seeding with bank accounts and the DBT process became mandatory from the 13th instalment, while e-KYC was made compulsory from the 15th instalment. This three-layer security mechanism has completely eliminated the role of intermediaries and ensured that the benefits of the scheme reach only genuine farmers. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)