In a meeting with FM Sitharaman ahead of Union Budget 2024, farmers’ bodies have sought an increase in PM Kisan benefit amount to Rs 8,000 from the current Rs 6,000.
Union Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present the much-awaited union budget, the maiden one of the Modi 3.0 regime, later this month. In the run-up to the Budget presentation in Parliament, as a regular practice ahead of the mega economic event, the finance ministry invites suggestions from various economic and social sectors and also holds consultation meetings with them. This time also the ministry officials led by FM Sitharaman have met many industry associations, union bodies and farming community representatives.
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PM Kisan scheme – Here’s what farmers want
One of the key demands that has been put forth by farmer bodies’ representatives is hiking the installment amount under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Rs 8,000 per year from Rs 6,000. As per various media reports, they in a meeting with the FM pressed upon various other issues troubling the farm sector.
Experts are of the view that raising the PM Kisan benefit amount will assist in providing greater financial support to farmers, stabilising their income and tackling rising input costs in the farm sector.
In their meeting Sitharaman, the representatives also sought direct subsidies via direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to farmers, besides additional funds for research in the agriculture sector.
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What is PM-Kisan scheme?
The Centre launched the flagship scheme in December 2018, promising an income support of 6,000 per year in three equal installments to all land holding farmer families. Definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children.
To implement the scheme, the Centre directed state governments and UT administrations to identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.
Under the PM Kisan Yojana, the central government releases fund directly to the bank accounts of all the beneficiaries.
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Eligibility criteria for PM-KISAN scheme:
Land ownership: The beneficiary should be the owner of cultivable land and the landholding should be in his name as per land records.
Cultivable land: Farmers – both small and marginal farmers – who cultivate land, irrespective of the size of landholding, are eligible for the PM Kisan amount.
Family criteria: All eligible farmer families, defined as husband, wife, and minor children, are considered as beneficiaries under the scheme.
Age criteria: The Centre has not kept any age restriction for beneficiaries to avail benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme.
Income criteria: The Centre has not mentioned any income criteria as such for PM Kisan beneficiaries to be eligible. However, institutional landholders and those retired from government service and receiving a pension above a certain threshold are kept out of this scheme.
Citizenship: Only Indian citizens are allowed to take the benefit under this scheme.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): As the PM Kisan amount is sent to beneficiary farmers through DBT, it is important that the farmer’s bank account is linked with a valid Aadhaar number.
