BHAGALPUR/PATNA: Reaffirming his commitment to farmers’ welfare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disbursed on Monday financial assistance of over Rs 22,000 crore to farmers across the country while releasing the 19th instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme at the Kisan Samman Ceremony in Bhagalpur. He also launched several development projects.
“There are around 75 lakh farmer families from Bihar who were beneficiaries of the PM-Kisan scheme… Around Rs 1,600 crore was credited directly into the bank accounts of Bihar farmers,” he said.
More than 9.8 crore farmers, including 2.4 crore female farmers, benefited from the 19th instalment, receiving financial aid without the involvement of any middlemen.
Asserting that farmers would not have received these benefits if his govt had not been elected, Modi said since the scheme’s inception six years ago approximately Rs 3.7 lakh crore had been directly transferred into farmers’ accounts. He added that small farmers, who previously struggled to access government schemes, were now receiving rightful support.
Modi criticised past govts, stating that intermediaries used to exploit small farmers. “Under my leadership, and that of CM Nitish Kumar, this will not be allowed to happen,” he said. Contrasting his administration with previous ones, he said the amount his govt had transferred directly to farmers far exceeded the agricultural budgets of past govts. “Such efforts can only be undertaken by a govt committed to farmers’ welfare, not by corrupt entities,” he said.
Modi announced the Centre’s achievement in establishing 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs), a target now reached. “I am happy that Bihar is witnessing the establishment of the 10,000th FPO. This FPO, registered in Khagaria district, focuses on maize, banana and paddy,” he said.