The Rajasthan government presented its farmer-focused Budget on Thursday, February 8, 2024. The Budget included several announcements to benefit the farmers of the state, such as increasing the amount under the PM-KISAN scheme and raising the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat.
PM-KISAN Amount Increased to ₹8,000 in Rajasthan Budget
The PM-KISAN scheme is a central government initiative that provides income support of ₹6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers. The scheme was launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the Rajasthan Budget, the state government announced that it will add an additional ₹2,000 to the PM-KISAN scheme, taking the total amount to ₹8,000 per year for each farmer. This decision will benefit about 75 lakh farmers in the state and will entail an additional financial burden of ₹1,300 crore on the state exchequer .
The deputy chief minister and finance minister of Rajasthan, Diya Kumari, said that this move was aimed at providing relief to the farmers who are facing hardships due to various factors such as climate change, crop failure and market fluctuations.
Wheat MSP
Another major announcement in the Rajasthan Budget was the hike in the MSP for wheat, a major rabi crop in the state. The MSP for wheat has been increased by ₹125 from ₹2,275 to ₹2,400 per quintal. This will benefit about 40 lakh wheat farmers in the state and will cost an additional ₹1,500 crore to the state government .
The finance minister said that this decision was taken to fulfil the promise made by the BJP in its election manifesto. She said that the BJP government is committed to ensuring that the farmers get at least 50% more than their cost of production as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
Other announcements in Rajasthan Budget
Apart from these two major announcements, the Rajasthan Budget also included several other measures to boost the agriculture sector and improve the welfare of the farmers. Some of these are:
- A provision of ₹2,000 crore for Rajasthan Agriculture Infra Mission to develop infrastructure facilities such as cold storages, warehouses and processing units.
- A launch of Gopal Credit Card scheme on the lines of Kisan Credit Card scheme to provide short-term loans for dairy activities at 4% interest rate.
- A provision of ₹500 crore for crop insurance scheme to cover all crops under both kharif and rabi seasons.
- A provision of ₹300 crore for organic farming and natural farming promotion.
- A provision of ₹200 crore for micro-irrigation and water conservation projects.
- A provision of ₹100 crore for setting up agro-based industries and clusters.
- A provision of ₹50 crore for establishing a Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Research and Innovation at Jaipur.
The finance minister said that these initiatives will help in increasing the income and productivity of the farmers and make them self-reliant and resilient.
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