Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to release the 18th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Saturday during an event in Washim, Maharashtra. This instalment, exceeding Rs 20,000 crore, will be disbursed via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to over 9.4 crore farmers across the country, ensuring financial assistance without intermediary involvement.
The event will be celebrated as PM-KISAN Utsav Divas nationwide, with around 2.5 crore farmers expected to participate through webcasts from more than 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), one lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and five lakh Common Service Centres. Launched in February 2019, the PM-KISAN scheme provides landholding farmers with an annual financial benefit of Rs 6,000, distributed in three equal instalments. With this 18th instalment, the total disbursement under the scheme will surpass Rs 3.45 lakh crore, benefiting over 11 crore farmers across India. In Maharashtra alone, approximately 1.20 crore farmers have received Rs 32,000 crore, with around 91.51 lakh farmers set to receive more than Rs 1,900 crore in this latest disbursement.
Additionally, the Prime Minister will distribute Rs 2,000 crore to Maharashtra's farmers as part of the fifth instalment of the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana. In a move to enhance agricultural infrastructure, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate several projects completed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) within the first 100 days of the new government. Launched in 2020, the AIF offers medium- to long-term financing to improve post-harvest management and community farming infrastructure. Over 10,066 projects have been sanctioned across the nation, with more than 7,500 already completed, aimed at boosting storage, processing, and logistics facilities for farmers.
Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will also be a focus, as the Prime Minister dedicates around 9,200 FPOs formed under a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) with a goal of establishing 10,000 FPOs nationwide. These organisations now support 24 lakh farmers, including 8.3 lakh women and 5.77 lakh SC and ST beneficiaries, with a combined annual turnover of Rs 1,300 crore. To further enhance dairy farming, new initiatives will be launched, including an indigenous sex-sorted semen production technology to reduce costs for farmers, along with genomic chips for cattle and buffalo, assisting farmers in selecting high-quality animals to improve dairy productivity.
In alignment with India’s clean energy objectives, Prime Minister Modi will lead the e-Distribution of Letters of Award for 3,000 MW under the KUSUM-C (MSKVY 2.0) scheme, promoting solar energy for agricultural use. Five solar parks with a combined capacity of 19 MW will be inaugurated in Dhondalgaon, Bamni Bk., Kondgiri, Jalalabad, and Palshi Bk., providing farmers with daytime electricity and opportunities to earn additional income through land leasing for solar installations.
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