New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday release the 24th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, transferring Rs 18,690 crore directly into the bank accounts of over 9.34 crore farmers from Banaskantha in Gujarat.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will join the programme from Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, an official statement said.
At the event, the prime minister will also dedicate to the nation 521 units set up under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), aimed at strengthening agricultural storage, processing and related infrastructure.
He will also inaugurate 12 horticulture clusters to promote high-value horticultural crops and improve farmers’ income prospects.
Launched in February 2019, PM-KISAN has so far disbursed Rs 4.47 lakh crore to eligible farmers in 23 instalments. Under the scheme, eligible landholding farmer families receive Rs 6,000 a year in three instalments, transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
According to the statement, investments of around Rs 1.75 lakh crore have been made under the AIF across more than 2.28 lakh projects. The fund supports the development of warehouses, cold storage facilities, primary processing centres and other infrastructure, which, the government says, will help reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access and ensure better returns for farmers.
The agriculture ministry also highlighted the government’s push for crop diversification towards horticulture, saying the development of clusters would strengthen the value chain and encourage production and marketing of high-value crops.
Listing the government’s key farm sector initiatives over the past 12 years, the ministry cited the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Kisan Credit Card, Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Per Drop More Crop, besides PM-KISAN. It also pointed to the National Mission on Edible Oils, the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses and the National Mission on Natural Farming, under which clusters are being developed to encourage sustainable practices.
A large number of farmers from the region are expected to attend the event. PTI LUX HVA
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