Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has officially launched the centre’s ambitious income-transfer scheme known as PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) at a farmer’s rally in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The PM launched the scheme by transferring the 1st instalment of Rs. 2,000 each to more than 1 crore farmers while another 1 crore farmers will most probably be covered in the next two to three days. Modi said India stands with farmers of the country adding that today is not an ordinary day as it will be remembered in history. He congratulated the people of Gorakhpur for witnessing the launch of the ambitious scheme.
Not only this, Prime Minister talked with select beneficiaries via video conferencing at the farmers rally and also gave certificates to the select farmers under the PM-KISAN yojana. The Indian Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for numerous development projects in Gorakhpur before leaving for Prayagraj at 1:30 pm
At the Kumbh mela, he will take part in the Swachh Kumbh Swachh Aabhaar event, which is organized by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. PM will give the Swachh Kumbh Swachh Aabhaar awards to sanitation employees, 'swachhagrahis', police personnel and boatmen. A statement issued by PMO said, “There will also be the digital announcement of Swachh Seva Samman Benefits package”.
To recall, in the interim Budget 2019-20, government had announced the PM-KISAN scheme, under which, Rs. 6,000 will be given to 12 crore small and marginal farmers with cultivable land of up to 2 hectares every year in three instalments. PM-KISAN will not only provide guaranteed extra income to the most vulnerable farmer families, but will also meet their growing needs especially before the harvest season.
Meanwhile, leaders of opposition party said that the swift implementation of the PM-Kisan scheme was only in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Many of them that included Congress chief Rahul Gandhi alleged that the money translates to a meager Rs. 3.3 /day / person for a family of 5 people.
However, the scheme is seen as a part of the centre’s effort to deal with farm distress caused by lower sales of foodgrain, cotton, oilseeds, sugarcane and horticulture crops. The money will be transferred electronically to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through a pattern similar to MGNREGS.
