Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi(PM-KISAN) Scheme
The Prime Minister of India released the next instalment of financial benefit under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Rs 18000 crore have been deposited directly in the bank account of more than 9 crore farmer families in the country at the click of a button.
What is PM-KISAN?
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Scheme is a central government scheme through which, all small and marginal farmers will get up to Rs 6,000 per year as minimum income support. This 75,000-crore scheme aims to cover 125 million farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholding in India.
Objective of the PM-KISAN?
The objective of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Scheme is to augment the income of the farmers by providing income support to all landholding farmers’ families across the country and to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.
Significance of PM Kisan scheme
- Under the Scheme an amount of Rs.6000/- per year is transferred in three 4-monthly installments of Rs.2000/- directly into the bank accounts of the farmers subject to certain exclusion criteria relating to higher income status.
- The Scheme initially provided income support to all small and Marginal Farmers’ families across the country, holding cultivable land up to 2 hectares. Its ambit was later expanded to cover all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their land holdings.
- The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiaries rests with the State / UT Governments.
- Special provisions have also been made for the North-Eastern States where land ownership rights are community based, Forest Dwellers and Jharkhand which does not have updated land records and restrictions on transfer of land.
Who is eligible for PM Kisan scheme?
- Landholding farmers’ families with cultivable landholding in their names can apply under this scheme
- Farmers from both the urban and rural areas
- Small and marginal farmers families
Who is not eligible for PM Kisan scheme?
- Institutional landholders
- Present or retired officers and employees of state/central government as well as PSUs and government autonomous bodies.
- Beneficiaries with higher economic status are not eligible.
- Those who pay income tax
- Farmer families holding constitutional posts
- Professionals like doctors, engineers and lawyers
- Retired pensioners with a monthly pension of over Rs 10,000