New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 17th instalment of about Rs 20,000 crore under PM-KISAN during his visit to Varanasi on June 18, 2024. The PM will be in Varanasi to release the PM-KISAN instalment to the farmers and grant certificates to more than 30,000 self-help groups (SHGs) as Krishi Sakhis. The event will be organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in coordination with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed during a press conference in New Delhi today.
In his address during the press conference, the agriculture minister said that agriculture is the most important basis for fulfilling the resolve of a developed India. Chouhan said that agriculture is the foundation of the Indian economy. Even today, most of the employment opportunities are created through agriculture.
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The minister said that the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) is a Central sector scheme launched on 24th February 2019 to supplement the financial needs of all land-holding farmers subject to certain exclusion criteria of higher income status. He said that maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government of India has disbursed over Rs 3.04 lakh crores till now to more than 11 crore farmers across the nation and with this release, the total amount transferred to the beneficiaries since the inception of the scheme will cross well over Rs 3.24 lakh crores.
The agriculture minister said that on 18 June, the success of the resolution of developed India along with the prosperity of the farmers is going to start. Because on this day several union ministers will also be visiting 50 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) to interact with the farmers and create awareness amongst them about the various schemes of the department. He said that around 2.5 crore farmers will join the event across the country. 732 KVKs, over 1 lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), and 5 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) from across the country will also participate in the event to create awareness amongst the farmers.
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He said that along with the programme of releasing the instalment of PM Kisan, Prime Minister Modi will also grant certificates to more than 30,000 self-help groups (SHGs) as Krishi Sakhis and as a token PM will distribute the certificates to 5 Krishi Sakhis. The Krishi Sakhi programme has been rolled out in 12 states in Phase – 1: Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Meghalaya. As of date, over 34,000 Krishi Sakhis out of 70,000 have been certified as para-extension workers.
Chouhan said that Krishi Sakhis are chosen as agriculture para-extension workers because they are trusted community resource persons and experienced farmers themselves. The Krishi Sakhis have already received extensive training in various agricultural practices, making them well-equipped to support and guide fellow farmers effectively.
