PM Modi releases Rs 18,000 crore PM-KISAN installment to over nine crore farmers

December 25, 2020

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed over nine crore farmers from six states via video conferencing amid ongoing protests against three farm laws enacted by the Center.
In today’s meeting, PM Modi released over Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmer families as the next installment of ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi’ (PM-KISAN). With the push of a button, he enabled the transfer of money directly to the bank accounts of the farmers.
PM Modi released the instalment of Rs 2,000 to every farmer on the birth anniversary of former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which is every year celebrated as “Good Governance Day” by the ruling party.
Under the PM-KISAN scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to small and marginal farmers, payable in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each. The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

The programme comes amid protests by various farmer unions against three farm laws recently enacted by the Modi government. The government has insisted that these reforms are in the interest of farmers.
“People spreading falsehoods that private companies take away farmers’ land, farmers from remote places in Arunachal Pradesh also know private companies won’t take away land”, the PM said adding that farm reforms became necessary because poor farmers, who are over 80%, were getting poorer during rules of earlier governments.
In today’s meeting, he discussed benefits of PM-Kisan, Fasal Bima Yojna, and Kisan Credit Card with the farmers. After the release of Rs 18,000 crore, PM Modi interacted with farmers. “I urge you to tell farmers about the Kisan Credit Card and its various benefits which include the availability of loans at low-interest rates,” said PM Modi to a farmer from Odisha.