The government of India is planning to increase the annual income support under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme from ₹6,000 to ₹8,000 for all eligible land-holding farmer families. This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Diwali.
What is PM-KISAN?
PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme that provides income support of ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments to all land holding farmer families. The scheme was launched in February 2019 and has benefited more than 11 crore farmer families so far .
The objective of the scheme is to supplement the financial needs of the farmers in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields, commensurate with the anticipated farm income. The scheme also aims to cover around 14.5 crore beneficiaries with an estimated expenditure of ₹87,217.50 crore that will be funded by the Central Government.
Why is the scheme being increased?
The Prime Minister said that the government has decided to increase the annual income support under PM-KISAN from ₹6,000 to ₹8,000 as a Diwali gift to the farmers. He said that this will help the farmers cope with the rising costs of inputs and improve their living standards.
He also said that the government is committed to doubling the income of farmers by 2022 and providing them with various facilities such as irrigation, insurance, credit, market access, etc. He said that the government has taken several steps to boost the agriculture sector such as increasing the minimum support price (MSP), implementing the new farm laws, creating infrastructure funds, etc.
How will the scheme be implemented?
The Prime Minister said that the increased amount of ₹8,000 will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries in three instalments of ₹2,667 each. He said that the first instalment will be transferred in December 2023 and the remaining two instalments will be transferred in April and August 2024.
He said that the state governments and UT administrations will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines. The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through Aadhaar-linked payment system.
He also said that the beneficiaries can quote either their ration card number or the Aadhaar number to any Fair Price Shop dealer across the country to avail their entitlements under PM-KISAN.
What is PM-GKAY?
The Prime Minister also said that the government will extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) for another five years till 2029. PM-GKAY is a food security welfare scheme that provides 5 kg of free food grains per month to the poor. This is in addition to the subsidized ration provided under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to families covered under the Public Distribution System (PDS) .
PM-GKAY was introduced in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been extended several times since then. The scheme covers about 80 crore beneficiaries who account for two-thirds of the population . The government has allocated 1,118 lakh metric tonnes of food grains from its central procurement pool at a cost of ₹3.9 lakh crore for the scheme .
Why is the scheme being extended?
The Prime Minister said that the government has decided to extend PM-GKAY for another five years as a gesture of gratitude and solidarity with the poor who have faced hardships during the pandemic. He said that this will ensure food security and nutritional security for all citizens.
He also said that PM-GKAY is a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan which aims to make India self-reliant and resilient. He said that PM-GKAY will help in reducing poverty and hunger and improving health and well-being of the people.
How will the scheme be implemented?
The Prime Minister said that under PM-GKAY each beneficiary will get additional 5 kg free ration per person per month in addition to his normal quota of grains under NFSA. He said that wheat has been allocated to six states/UTs – Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Gujarat, and rice has been provided to the remaining states/UTs.
He said that PM-GKAY will be implemented through PDS which is one of the largest food distribution networks in the world. He also said that One Nation One Ration Card Scheme which provides an option to all eligible ration cardholders or beneficiaries covered under NFSA for accessing their entitlements from anywhere in India will be fully operational by March 2024.