Farmer welfare is the top priority of the Modi government - Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Over 9.8 Crore Farmers to Benefit from Direct Transfers Exceeding ₹22,000 Crore
- Formation of the 10,000th FPO under the Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs scheme
- Inauguration of the Regional Center of Excellence (CoE) for Indigenous Breeds at Motihari with an investment of ₹33.80 Cr. under Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- Inauguration of Milk Product Plant at Barauni build with investment of ₹113.27 Cr.
- Inauguration of the Warisaliganj–Nawadah–Tilaiya Rail Section Doubling (36.45 km) build with investment of ₹526 crore
- Inauguration of Ismailpur – Rafiganj Road Over Bridge build with investment of ₹47 c
New Delhi (BTI)-Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare addressed the media on Friday regarding the upcoming release of the 19th instalment under the PM-KISAN scheme. PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana, a Central Sector Scheme launched on 24th February 2019, provides annual financial assistance of Rs. 6,000/- per eligible farmer family. So far, more than Rs. 3.46 lakh crores have been disbursed to more than 11 Cr. farmer families in the country through 18 instalments.
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan mentioned that Farmer welfare is the top priority of the Modi government. The aim is to increase production, reduce the cost of production, ensure fair prices for produce, compensate for crop losses, diversify agriculture, and reduce costs through important schemes like the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, which was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. Shri Chouhan said that he is pleased to inform that the 19th instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi will be transferred by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with a single click into the accounts of farmers from Bhagalpur on February 24, 2025. This release will symbolize six years of successful implementation of the PM-Kisan scheme, which continues to strengthen the financial well-being of farmers across the country. He mentioned that a “Kisan Samman Samaroh” in this regard will be organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India in coordination with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (AH&D), Government of India, Ministry of Railways, Government of India and Government of Bihar at Bhagalpur, Bihar.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that during the 18th instalment release of PM-KISAN, the instalment was released to about 9 crore 60 lakh farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture has been actively making sustained efforts to add any eligible farmers who have been missed out and through these efforts the number of farmers who will receive the 19th instalment has gone up. More than 9.8 crore farmers including 2.41 crore female farmers across the country will be benefitted through the 19th instalment release, receiving direct financial assistance exceeding ₹22,000 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) without involvement of any middlemen, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to farmer welfare and agricultural prosperity.
He mentioned that Bihar alone has received more than ₹25,497 crores through previous instalments, benefiting more than 86.56 lakh farmers in the state. In the 19th instalment, about 76.37 lakh farmers will benefit from more than ₹1,591 crores, bringing the total benefit amount transferred to beneficiaries in Bihar to around ₹27,088 crores. In Bhagalpur only, so far over ₹813.87 crore have been transferred to around 2.82 Lakh beneficiaries under 18 instalments of PM KISAN. In the 19th instalment around 2.48 lakhs beneficiaries will receive benefits of over ₹51.22 crore. With this the total amount will reach around ₹865.09 crores.
Shri Chouhan mentioned that in this program in Bhagalpur, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be accompanied by the Governor of Bihar, Shri. Arif Mohammad Khan, the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar, the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi, the Minister of Panchayati Raj, and the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy, Shri Lalan Singh, among other dignitaries. He mentioned that the event will not only be organized in Bihar but is being organized at every level. The state governments will parallelly organize events at the state, district, block and gram panchayat level.
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan mentioned that Programs will also be organized in 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the country. The day of the release will be celebrated as “Kisan Samman Samaroh” to create awareness about the schemes of the central and state governments. Agriculture ministers, MPs, and MLAs from the states will join the program in their respective areas. He mentioned that during the program, the honoured guests will also distribute agricultural machinery and seed kits under the Oilseed Mission, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Per Drop More Crop (PDMC), and Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme (PMFBY). In addition, exhibitions focused on natural farming, organic farming, and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products will be organized at the state and district levels led by FPOs and KVKs. These exhibitions will help promote innovation and sustainable agricultural practices and will continue for 2 to 3 days after the main event to increase awareness and adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies.
Shri Chouhan told the press that the 19th instalment release event will be broadcasted live on DD Kisan, webcast on MyGov, YouTube, Facebook, and in more than 5 lakh common service centres across the country. Approximately two and a half crore farmers will join the program physically and virtually.
Union Minister said that the Kisan Samman Nidhi has changed the lives of small farmers. Under this scheme, ₹6,000 is given directly in three instalments. About 3.46 lakh crores have been deposited into farmers’ accounts. With the release of the 19th instalment, a total of 3.68 lakh crores will reach the farmers’ accounts. He mentioned that small farmers used to face difficulties in buying seeds and fertilizers at the time of sowing and had to take loans at interest to meet their needs, but now they are able to meet the necessary agricultural expenses from this fund. He mentioned that the IFPRI conducted an independent study of PM-KISAN, which found that the funds received under this scheme have helped farmers overcome debt barriers and increased their risk-taking capacity. Shri Chouhan also mentioned that the farmers used to get a maximum of 3 lakh rupees on the Kisan Credit Card but now that limit has been increased to 5 lakh rupees.
Talking about the event, the Union Minister said that in addition to this program, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will also launch some other initiatives in Bhagalpur. In Barauni, Bihar, Barauni Dairy will start a state-of-the-art dairy product plant developed with an investment of ₹113.27 crore and with a milk processing capacity of about 2 lakh litres. This is a program of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will also inaugurate the Regional Center of Excellence (CoE) at Motihari under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with an investment of ₹33.80 crore, to enhance cattle breeding and dairy productivity.
Shri Chouhan mentioned that the Prime Minister Shri Modi will inaugurate the 10,000th Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) in Bihar, marking the achievement of the 10,000-FPO target set under the scheme launched in 2020. This milestone will signify the successful culmination of the initiative aimed at strengthening farmers’ bargaining power and improving market access. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 29th February 2020 with budget outlay of ₹6,865 Crore till 2027-28. Since the launch of the scheme, ₹254.4 Crore in equity grants has been released to 4,761 FPOs and credit guarantee cover worth ₹453 Cr. has been issued to 1,900 FPOs.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan mentioned that alongside the above initiatives, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will also inaugurate significant infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation in the region. One of the projects to be inaugurated is the doubling of the Warisaliganj–Nawadah–Tilaiya rail section build with an investment of ₹526 crore, and covering a stretch of 36.45 km. This expansion will improve rail capacity, reduce congestion, and ensure the seamless movement of passengers and goods. It will enhance the connectivity of key areas, benefiting local commuters, traders, and businesses by providing faster and more efficient rail services.
Additionally, the Ismailpur–Rafiganj Road Over Bridge build with an investment of ₹47 crore will be inaugurated, addressing traffic congestion and improving road safety in the area. Shri Chouhan told the press that makhana is a major crop in Bihar. To energize makhana producers, a decision has been made to establish a Makhana Board. He said that he will arrive in Bihar on the 23rd and will discuss directly with the makhana producers on how to provide more facilities to makhana-producing farmers. He mentioned that the discussion will not take place in a hall but by the ponds. Shri Chouhan concluded the press conference, emphasizing that the government’s primary focus is the welfare of farmers of the country.
A farmer-centric digital infrastructure has ensured the benefits of the scheme reach all the eligible farmers across the country without any involvement of the middlemen. The scheme started on a trust-based system based on the farmer’s self-certification of eligibility and its verification by the State Government. Further, the subsequent and gradual use of available digital systems in the country for electronically verifying and validating beneficiaries has ensured last-mile delivery and greater efficiency and transparency in the scheme’s implementation. These include integration with the PFMS portal, UIDAI portal, Income Tax portal, etc. In order the improve the quality of the data in the PM KISAN following mandatory checks has been implemented in the PM KISAN scheme.
