New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's release of over Rs 18,640 crore as the 22nd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme this month has enabled over 9.32 crore farmers to receive financial assistance, out of whom 2.15 crore are women farmers. The total money disbursed since the launch of the scheme has now shot past Rs 4.27 lakh crore, making PM-KISAN one of the world’s largest direct benefit transfer initiatives, according to an official factsheet released on Thursday.The scheme is implemented through Aadhaar-based authentication and digitised land records, ensuring transparent and efficient direct benefit transfer (DBT) to verified beneficiaries.

The scheme is widely regarded as a significant initiative towards ensuring ‘Annadata Samman’. Reflecting the government’s continued commitment to strengthening farmers’ income security, the Union Budget 2026-27 has allocated Rs 60,000 crore for the PM-KISAN scheme.Impact evaluations by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and NITI Aayog show farmers reporting increased agricultural income and reduced reliance on informal credit.Across diverse regions of the country, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) has helped farmers invest in their fields and strengthen agricultural productivity.

Bhamini, a farmer from Edakkara, Kerala, is among the women beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). After receiving the 21st instalment, she observed that timely financial assistance encourages her to strengthen farming practices and work towards improving productivity. The seamless transfer of benefits through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system ensures that support reaches farmers without delay, enabling them to continue their agricultural activities with greater confidence.For Anil Haldar, a farmer from Durgapur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the annual assistance of Rs 6,000 has been timely support for agricultural activities. After receiving an instalment in August 2025, he initiated watermelon cultivation, using the funds to purchase essential inputs. The financial assistance enabled him to diversify his crop and expand his farming operations.

Similarly, Deepak Singh Negi, a farmer from Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, uses the scheme’s assistance to procure key agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. These investments have improved both the quality and yield of his crops, illustrating how direct income support can help farmers strengthen productivity and sustain their livelihoods.The PM-KISAN is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2019 to provide assured income support to landholding farmer families with cultivable land nationwide. Under the scheme, each eligible farmer family receives annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000, disbursed in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.

/IANS