The PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana is a government scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24, 2019. It is aimed at providing financial assistance to small and marginal farmers across the country. Under the scheme, eligible farmers are provided a direct cash transfer of Rs. 6,000 per annum to their bank accounts in three equal installments of Rs. 2,000.
The scheme aims to benefit around 12 crore small and marginal farmers who are engaged in agriculture but do not have access to financial support. This financial assistance is expected to help these farmers in meeting their agricultural needs and making necessary investments such as purchasing seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs.
The eligibility criteria for the scheme are quite simple. Any farmer who has cultivable land up to 2 hectares and who is not a taxpayer is eligible to apply for the scheme. The scheme covers farmers across all states of India, including UTes where the scheme is implemented.
The scheme has been received positively by farmers and has been seen as a major step towards empowering them. With the ongoing pandemic affecting the farming sector due to disruptions in supply chains and decreased demand for crops, the PM-KISAN scheme has provided a much-needed lifeline to farmers across the country.
The progress of the scheme has been steady, with around Rs. 6,000 crores being disbursed to farmers in the financial year 2019-20. In the year 2020-21, around Rs. 1.25 lakh crores have been allocated for the scheme, and as of January 2021, around Rs. 65,000 crores have been disbursed to farmers.
However, the implementation of the scheme has not been without its challenges. There have been cases of ineligible beneficiaries receiving the assistance, while eligible farmers have been left out due to various reasons, including technical glitches in the system and discrepancies in land records.
To address these issues, the government has launched several initiatives such as conducting Aadhaar-based verification of beneficiaries and integrating land records with the scheme’s database to ensure that the benefits reach the right beneficiaries.
In conclusion, the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana has been a significant step towards providing financial support to small and marginal farmers across the country. While there have been challenges in implementing the program, the government’s efforts to address these issues are commendable. With improved implementation and better outreach, this scheme can truly empower farmers and usher in a new era of agricultural growth and development.