India / PM Modi releases ₹18,000 crore for 9 crore farmers under PM-KISAN scheme

New Delhi: As the farmers' protests continue unabated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses nine crore farmers from six states via video conferencing on 25 December - former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary.

In today's meeting, PM Modi released the next installment of the financial benefits - ₹18,000 crore - under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN).

With the push of a button, the Prime Minister enabled the transfer of over ₹18,000 crore to more than nine crore beneficiary farmer families, as per reports.

While interacting with farmers, PM Modi slammed the Opposition for spreading lies and rumours about the newly-enacted farm laws.

The PM also said that over ₹18,000 crore have been directly deposited in the accounts of farmers without middlemen and commissions.

Speaking to a farmer from Odisha, PM Modi said, "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."

Interacting with the PM, the Odisha farmer said, "I received my Kisan Credit Card in 2019. I took an amount of ₹27,000 on loan from the bank on a mere 4% interest as compared to 20% from intermediaries."

"So far, I've received ₹10,000 under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Under the new farm laws, we can now sell the farm produce to any private business/organisation. This year, I sold 85 quintal soybean to ITC," Manoj Patidar, a farmer from Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, said while interacting with PM Modi.

Another farmer from Fatehabad in Haryana said, "Earlier, I used to do rice farming but I am also interested in gardening. I have planted lemons in 3 acres and guavas in 7 acres of land. We sell them in local mandis and get a good amount for it."

Addressing the farmers, PM Modi also lashed out at the West Bengal government and said that the farmers of the state have been deprived of the benefits of the Centre's schemes. "Bengal is the only state, which is not allowing benefits of the schemes to reach the farmers," PM Modi said.

The PM-KISAN scheme

PM Modi released the installment of ₹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 this scheme, financial aid of ₹6,000 per year is provided to small and marginal farmers, payable in three equal installments of ₹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 Central Government.

The Centre has repeatedly insisted that these reforms are in the interest of farmers.

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."