The release of the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme was declared on Friday by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. This instalment has been specially prioritised for the farmers of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand who have been severely affected by recent floods and landslides.
The three states have recently faced severe floods, landslides, and widespread crop losses, causing immense hardship to farming families. In this context, today’s release of PM-KISAN assumes even greater importance. A total of more than Rs 540 crore has been directly transferred into the bank accounts of over 27 lakh farmers, including around 2.7 lakh women farmers, across the three states. This support aims to provide timely relief to farmers as they work to recover from the recent calamities.
During the event, Chouhan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to stand by farmers in every situation. He highlighted that the instalment of Rs 2,000 will help farmers meet immediate household needs, procure seeds and fertilizers for the next sowing cycle, and restore their confidence to resume cultivation.
The Agriculture Minister also recalled the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the flood-affected areas earlier this month, where he announced comprehensive relief measures, including financial assistance of Rs 1500 crore, Rs 1600 crore, and Rs 1200 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, respectively, in addition to ex-gratia for families of the deceased and the injured, as well as support under the PM CARES for Children scheme.
With this release, the cumulative disbursement under PM-KISAN to the three states has crossed Rs 13,626 crore since the launch of the scheme on 24th February 2019.