Centre Might Pay Up To Rs. 19,000 Crore to Farmers

The government might pay up to Rs. 19,000 crore to approximately 9.5 crore voters through their flagship PM-KISAN scheme in the run-up to the general elections. There is also a possibility of more than Rs. 13,300 crore being transferred to beneficiaries even when the election code is in force. 

Under the PM-KISAN scheme, announced during the Union Budget in February, 12.5 crore small and marginal farmer households were to receive Rs. 6,000 a month, which is to be paid in three installments of Rs. 2,000 each. 

But with the poll code coming into force, the Agriculture Ministry had sought permission from the Election Commission to continue the scheme. 

The Election Commission said that the government could make the payments only to those beneficiaries who had been identified before the model code of conduct came into force. 

According to senior official of the Agriculture Ministry, "The clause was that the names had to be identified before the code of conduct came into force. The name details, phone numbers, Aadhaar numbers, it was all collected (by the states). We have the data of about 4.76 crore farmer households, collected before the code came into force.” 

He added 2.83 crore farmer households had already received the first installment of Rs. 2000, amounting to Rs. 5,660 crore. We are trying that the rest of the farmers also get the first installment by March 31. We will start sending the second installment from April onwards.