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The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan), which gives a farmer a sum of ₹6,000 per year in three equated instalments of ₹2000 each as input subsidy, may continue for some years, even though it was initially announced for only a year, according to a senior Agriculture Ministry official.
“The government has the intentions of continuing the scheme for some time, even though it is so far announced only for a year,” said the official.
About ten days ago, Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment and Forests as well as Information and Broadcasting, while addressing the media at the 14th Conference of parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), indicated for the first time that the government has plans to give the farmers input subsidy of ₹6,000 per annum for next 10 years. He however refused to elaborate further on that.
When asked about this, the Agriculture Ministry official quipped do you think the government would be able to stop it just after a year and indicated that the announcement would come at an appropriate time.
Enrolment of beneficiaries
Presenting interim budget in February this year, stand-in Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced the scheme for small and marginal farmers in the country and this was subsequently extended by the Modi government, following the re-election, to all farmers in the country with some caveats.
Last week, talking at a conference where officials from State agricultural departments were present, PM Kisan CEO Vivek Aggarwal urged the States to increase the enrolment for the scheme because as many as 12 States and Union Territories have failed to cover even 50 per cent of the eligible farmer population. Among the States that lag in enrolment are Madhya Pradesh which has enrolled only 49 per cent farmers, Tamil Nadu (47 per cent), Kerala (40 per cent) and Bihar (26 per cent).
Also read:60% of farmers remain out of PM Kisan scheme
While there are 13.32 crore beneficiaries in the country according to agricultural census data, only 8.50 crore beneficiaries have been registered for the PM Kisan scheme till September 18, Aggarwal said and requested for the States’ cooperation in identifying the rest.
Read more:PM-KISAN scheme: Centre asks States to send beneficiary list of farmers
Aadhaar authentication
Besides, for the ongoing trimester, which began on August 1, Aadhaar authentication has been made compulsory. This would mean that the beneficiaries, even if they have been registered for the scheme, will not get the instalment unless their names do not match with that on their Aadhaar cards.
“We have received data for 8.5 crore beneficiaries. But the Aadhaar verification has been done only for 6.5 crore beneficiaries. We hope to reach the 8 crore level in the next 30 days and this process can only be completed if we have full cooperation from the States,” Aggarwal said.
Among the States where the maximum of number Aadhaar authentication is pending are Uttar Pradesh with 1.24 crore unverified beneficiaries, Maharahstra with 50 lakh, Tamil Nadu with 30 lakh, Madhya Pradesh with 28 lakh and Gujarat and Rajashtan with 25 lakh and 22 lakh respectively, the PM Kisan CEO said.
Related news:Finance Ministry wants 2 ‘PM Kisan’ instalments paid by month-end
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