~1.15 trn transferred to 107.5 mn farmers under Pm-kisan: Tomar on 2nd anniversary of scheme

The Centre on Wednesday said it has transferred over ~1.15 trillion directly to bank accounts of more than 107.5 million farmers under the Pm-kisan scheme and asked states to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are covered in this flagship programme.

Addressing a function on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Pm-kisan, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

(pictured) said the government has enhanced the income of farmers by providing ~6,000 annually to farmers under this scheme in three equal instalments.

The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24, 2019, from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Separately, Modi tweeted about the anniversary that his government ushered a historic increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and was doing everything possible to double the income of farmers. He also said that over the last seven years, the government has taken many initiatives for transforming agriculture.

From better irrigation to more technology, more credit and markets to proper crop insurance, focus on soil health to eliminating middlemen, the efforts are all-encompassing, he asserted.

Ready to talk with farmers

The government is ready to resume talks with protesting farmers if they respond to its offer to put the three contentious farm laws on hold for one-and-ahalf year and work out the difference during that time through a joint committee, Tomar said.