Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 12th instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme worth Rs 16,000 crore to farmers at the inauguration of a mega agriculture conclave in New Delhi on Monday.
Since the launch of PM-Kisan in February, 2019, more than Rs 2 trillion have been transferred to 113.7 million farmers’ bank accounts through 11 equal tranches of Rs 2,000 each. Farmers are provided financial assistance of Rs 6,000 annually through three equal installments under the scheme.
With the release of the 12th instalment on Monday, the total amount transferred to farmers since the launch of the scheme would be Rs 2.16 trillion. Currently, financial assistance under PM Kisan is provided to farmers with land holdings. According to agriculture ministry officials, a database is being created for faster identification of beneficiaries under PM Kisan and other schemes.
The two-day event — PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 – would see participation of more than 13,500 farmers and around 1,500 agri-startups. More than 10 million farmers and scientists from various research institutions and agricultural universities are expected to attend the event in a virtual mode.
Prime Minister Modi will formally launch Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana ‘one nation, one fertiliser’ initiative under which fertiliser manufacturers in the country will sell their assorted products under a single brand name – ‘Bharat’.
Fertilisers such as urea, di-amonimum phosphate (DAP), muriate of potassium (MOP) and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) being sold by companies, state trading entities and marketing companies will be named as Bharat urea, Bharat DAP, Bharat MOP and Bharat NPK under the new policy. Of course, the names of manufacturers will be mentioned on the packs.
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“A common logo indicating fertiliser subsidy scheme named Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna will be used in all fertiliser bags,” the ministry had said.
The government releases the fertiliser subsidy to manufacturers, which sell their produce to farmers through their retail chains. Since October 2016, the subsidies have been released to the farmers with the use of point of sale (PoS) devices installed at outlets.
Modi will virtually inaugurate 600 Pradan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK), set up by the fertilizer ministry, at the PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022. The existing 0.33 million retail fertiliser shops will be gradually integrated with PMKSK, which would cater to seeds, fertiliser, soil testing facilities and other needs of the farmers.
In the agri-startup conclave and exhibition around 300 startups will showcase their innovation associated with precision farming, post-harvest and value-added solutions, supply chain management, agri-logistics, etc.
According to an agriculture ministry statement, more than 10 million farmers will virtually join this event along with 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, 75 Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, 75 state agricultural universities, 600 PM Kisan Centres, 50,000 primary agricultural cooperative societies, and 0.2 million community service centres (CSCs) will also attend the event virtually.