‘No proposal and not considering to increase the financial support under the Pradhan Mantri Kishan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme’, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The scheme is aimed at supplementing the financial requirements of farmers with cultivable land-holding with a financial assistance of ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the central government has disbursed over ₹3.9 lakh crore to farmers in 20 installments since the scheme was implemented.
"Currently, there is no proposal under consideration to expand the coverage and quantum of financial support under the PM-KISAN," Chouhan said in his written reply to the Lok Sabha.
In response to a question regarding the scheme's inclusion of tenant and sharecropping farmers, he added that ownership of cultivable landholdings continues to be the main requirement for receiving benefits under it.The minister stated that, in accordance with the confirmed data obtained from states and UTs on the PM-KISAN portal, the benefits of the PM-KISAN scheme are disbursed to the recipients via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
Asked if the Centre will consider replicating Tamil Nadu's "Uzhavan App" model to provide real-time weather, market and advisory data, the minister said, "Currently, there is no proposal under consideration." However, the government is implementing the Kisan Call Centre scheme to provide comprehensive support to farmers by addressing their enquiries and providing advisory related to various aspects of agriculture via telephonic communication in their preferred languages. These call centres operate from strategic locations throughout the country, ensuring coverage across all states and Union Territories.
A dedicated common eleven-digit toll-free number, 1800-180-1551, has been established for the Kisan Call Centre. This number is accessible through both mobile phones and landlines.
The agents at the Kisan Call Centre, known as farm tele advisors, are equipped with relevant academic qualifications, thereby enabling them to respond effectively to farmers' queries and advise them in regional languages. Moreover, to disseminate tailored pest management advisories for major crops, the government has launched the National Pest Surveillance System.
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