What is Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana

The government of India has launched many schemes and programs for farmers of the country. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, popularly known as PM-Kisan is one such beneficial government scheme that provides financial assistance to all small and marginal farmers.  The scheme aims to cover around 125 million farmers in India, irrespective of the size of their landholding.

What is PM-Kisan Yojana

PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme was announced on 1^st February 2019, during the Interim-Union Budget 2019 and it was effective from December 2018. Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana on 24^th February 2019, in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh). PM Modi had also transferred the 1st installment of PM-Kisan to 1 Crore farmers ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

Benefits of PM-Kisan

Under this Yojana, income support of Rs 6000 / year is given to all eligible farmer families across the country in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each. It is important to mention that the amount of Rs 2,000 is directly transferred to the bank accounts of farmers or their families.

Documents required to apply for PM-Kisan Yojana

Here is the list of important documents that are required while registering under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana;

• Aadhaar card is the most important document without which you will not be able to register for the scheme.
• Landholding papers – you must have proper landholding/land papers
• Citizenship certificate
• Bank account details
• Valid mobile number

All these documents will be required at the time of registration.

Who are eligible for the Scheme?

All landholding farmers' families, who have cultivable landholding in their names are eligible for the scheme

Who are not eligible for the Scheme?

Not all farmers are eligible for PM Kisan Yojana. The government has declared the following category of farmers are not eligible to get benefits of PM-Kisan.

All institutional Landholders, and Farmer families where one or more of its members belong to the following categories:-

• Former & present holders of constitutional posts
• Former & present ministers/ State Ministers & former/present, Members of Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies or State Legislative councils, former & present mayors of Municipal corporations, former & present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
• All serving or retired officers & employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments & its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached offices /Autonomous institutions under Government as well as regular employees of Local Bodies (Excluding Multi-Tasking staff /Class lV/Group D employees).
• All superannuated or retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or more (Excluding multi-tasking employees)
• Everyone who paid income tax in the last assessment year
• Professionals such as Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, CA, and Architects registered with Professional bodies & carrying out profession by undertaking practices.

How many times money will be given in a year?

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, farmers will be given a financial benefit of Rs.6000 every year in three equal installments of Rs.200O/- each. That means they will get three times Rs. 2000. 

How the beneficiaries of PM Kisan will be identified and selected for payment?

The responsibility of identifying eligible farmers for benefit under this scheme is entirely of the State or Union Territories Governments. The prevailing land-ownership system or record of land in different States and UT will be used to recognize the intended beneficiaries for the transfer of scheme benefits.

What is the procedure for the release of installments?

• A web-portal, namely, www.pmkisan.gov.in has been developed for uploading beneficiaries' data by the State or UT Governments.
• Eligible farmers can apply with the village Patwaris, revenue officials or other designated officers/agencies & submit their required details to them.
• Nodal Officers selected by State / UT Governments at Block/taluk/ District level check the data and transfer them to State Nodal Officers.
• State Nodal Officers then authenticate the data & upload them in batches from time-to-time on the website.
• Based on the verified data, SNOs sign the Request For Transfer (RFT) of fund containing the total number of beneficiaries in a particular batch & total amount of money to be transferred for that batch, and upload it on the website.
• Based on Request For Transfer, PFMS issues a Fund Transfer Order.
• Based on Fund Transfer Order, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare issues sanction order for the sum mentioned in FTO.
• The money is transferred to the bank accounts of farmer-beneficiaries, held in destination banks, via an accredited bank of Department and the sponsoring bank of the State or UT Governments. The destination bank could be a Schedule Bank, Rural Bank, Post office, Cooperative Bank or any financial institution. Entire banking transaction is managed & monitored by National Payment Corporation of India.

How to apply for PM Kisan?

Farmers can register/apply online as well as offline to avail of the benefit of the scheme. Those who wish to register online will have to visit the official PM-Kisan website while those opting offline methods will have to go to the nearest Customer service Centre, Patwaris, or agriculture department.