PM-KISAN scheme to be rolled out today

New Delhi: In a major move aimed at empowering farmers, the government is all set to launch its flagship programme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. According to a senior official, the Rs 75,000-crore scheme of the union government would be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday in Gorakhpur by transferring the first installment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers.

The official further added that another one crore farmers would be covered in the next 2-3 days.

In the interim Budget 2019-20, the Centre had announced the PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares.

The scheme has been made effective from this fiscal itself and as a result, farmers would get one instalment before March-end. This programme is part of the government's effort to address farm sector distress, caused by lower sales realisation on bumper production of foodgrains, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and horticulture crops.

"To provide assured income support to the small and marginal farmers, the government is launching the PM-KISAN," the Union Agriculture ministry said in an official statement on Saturday.

The ministry in its statement did not mention the number of farmers who will get their first instalment of Rs 2,000 on Sunday. However, the farmers of the states of Andhra Pradesh and would suffer most with the launch of the scheme as similar programmes are already running in the respective states.