Doubling PM-Kisan Nidhi
Context:
Amid ongoing farmer protests in Haryana over the demand for a legal framework for Minimum Support Price (MSP), a parliamentary panel has urged the Central Government to double the annual entitlement under the PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000.
PM-KISAN
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme is a central government initiative launched on February 24, 2019, aimed at providing financial support to small and marginal farmers in India. Under this scheme, eligible farmer families receive an annual income support of ₹6,000, distributed in three equal installments of ₹2,000 every four months. It targets landholding farmer families, excluding those who are income tax payers or hold certain government positions. Funds are transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to ensure transparency and efficiency.
More on News
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing presented its report on the 2024-25 Demands for Grants in Parliament on Tuesday.
- The panel strongly advocated for the implementation of a robust, legally binding MSP framework, emphasising that such a measure could play a crucial role in reducing farmer suicides, mitigating debt burdens, and protecting against market volatility.
Other Recommendations
- The committee proposed renaming the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to the Department of Agriculture, Farmers, and Farm Labourers Welfare to acknowledge the significant contributions of agricultural labourers.
- It also suggested extending seasonal incentives, currently provided to farmers, to tenant farmers and farm labourers, ensuring broader inclusivity in government schemes.
- Additionally, the panel recommended compulsory Universal Crop Insurance for small farmers with landholdings of up to two hectares, modeled after the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance scheme.
- It also called for the establishment of a National Commission for Minimum Living Wages for Farm Labourers to address their long-pending rights and provide financial security.
- The committee noted that while the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has seen higher budget allocations in absolute terms from 2021-22 to 2024-25, its share in the total central plan outlay has declined.
- The department’s share fell from 3.53% in 2020-21 to 2.54% in 2024-25, signaling a relative reduction in focus on agricultural priorities within the broader budgetary framework.
The panel’s recommendations, if implemented, could address some of the longstanding grievances of the farming community, particularly in the face of rising inflation and market volatility. However, the protests underscore the urgency of direct engagement between the government and farmers to resolve these critical issues.
