Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, announced the next installment of PM-KISAN, the direct cash transfer scheme for farmers. This is worth Rs 18,000 crore and will benefit 9 crore farmers in the country. The outreach comes amid ongoing farmers’ protest at the national capital after the Parliament passed three farm laws to reform the farm sector.
Modi addressed 9 crore farmers from six states via video conference and released the instalment on the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
While interacting with farmers, PM Modi slammed the Opposition for spreading lies and rumours about the newly-enacted farm laws.
PM Modi released the installment of ₹2,000 to every farmer as the former PM’s birth anniversary is celebrated as “Good Governance Day” by the ruling party.
What is the PM-KISAN scheme?
Small and marginal farmers are provided with a financial aid of Rs 6,000 which is directly transferred to their bank account and are required to pay in three installments of Rs 2,000 each under this scheme.
The Centre has repeatedly insisted that these reforms are in the interest of farmers in spite of the farmers protesting against it.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also present at a gaushala in the national capital, from where he too interacted with a select group of farmers. “No corporate can snatch away any farmer’s land as long as Narendra Modi is Prime Minister,” Shah said.
Also, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the government has invited the protesting farmers for talks and said he was hopeful the farmers will understand the new farm law and, “we will move forward.”
The farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and several other states are protesting since November 26 in Delhi against three farm laws passed by the Center in the month of September. The acts have been described as “anti-farmer laws” by many farmer unions, and politicians from the opposition also say it would leave farmers at the “mercy of corporates.”
