Gandhinagar, June 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme from Tarkeshwar city of Hooghly district in West Bengal, transferring more than Rs 18,880 crore directly into the bank accounts of 9.44 crore farmers across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

In Gujarat, 51.28 lakh farmers received more than Rs 1,025 crore under this instalment, credited directly into their bank accounts without intermediaries.

The PM-Kisan scheme, launched in 2019, provides eligible farmer families with Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000.

A state-level “PM Kisan Utsav Diwas” programme was organised in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, with Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani and State Minister Ramesh Katara in attendance.

Assistance under various agriculture and horticulture schemes was also distributed to beneficiary farmers, while farmers across Gujarat viewed the live telecast of the Prime Minister’s address.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the government remains committed to strengthening farmers’ income and rural livelihoods through structured agricultural development.

He stated, “The state government has a special focus on water conservation, natural farming and modern agricultural development. Even in low rainfall conditions, planned farming is possible with a scientific approach. Natural farming improves soil quality, maintains production capacity and increases the chances of farmers getting better market prices.”

He added that the Narmada command area lake-filling limit has been increased from 3 km to 7 km, while infrastructure support, such as fencing and storage facilities, has been expanded to benefit small and marginal farmers.

He also noted that water conservation initiatives, including ‘Amrit Sarovar’ and rainwater harvesting structures, are being implemented across districts to improve irrigation reliability and groundwater recharge.

Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani said the PM-Kisan scheme has become a major source of assured financial assistance for farmers to meet agricultural input costs.

“The scheme ensures direct transfer of funds into farmers’ accounts, strengthening transparency and eliminating intermediaries, while also supporting rural economic stability through continued government procurement and welfare programmes,” he added.

–IANS

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