PM Modi releases Rs18,000 crore as part of PM-Kisan scheme, addresses farmers across states

On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda had instructed all party MPs, MLAs and other leaders to tune in to the programme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released the next instalment of PM-Kisan, the direct cash-transfer scheme for farmers, worth Rs18,000 crore into bank accounts of 9 crore farmers. The outreach comes amid ongoing farmers’ protests against the three laws passed by the Parliament in September to reform the farm sector.

PM Modi addressed farmers of the country on Friday (Screengrab)

“It was the initiative of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government to ensure farmers get loan on low interest rates. Today is his birthday and we have marked the day by releasing an instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme. These initiatives of the government should help farmers in undertaking crop diversification,” PM Modi said while interacting with a beneficiary of the scheme from Odisha.

On Thursday, the PM had tweeted that he was going to interact with farmers after releasing the next instalment of PM-Kisan, and said that the day is very important for the country’s ‘annadatas’. “Tomorrow’s day (Friday) is very important for the country’s Annadatas. Will get the opportunity to release the next installment of PM-Kisan for more than 9 crores farmer families through video conferencing at 12pm. Will also interact with farmers of many states on this occasion,” the PM had tweeted.

Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Union minister Smriti Irani, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and state deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya were among the senior party leaders who attended the event. BJP chief JP Nadda had instructed all party MPs, MLAs and other leaders to tune in to the programme.

The first instalment of the PM-Kisan scheme was released by the PM in 2019.