New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release over Rs 18,880 crore directly into the accounts of more than 9.44 lakh farmers across the country as the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Saturday, at a function to be held at Tarakeswar in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

There are over 2.18 crore women farmers among the beneficiaries of the 23rd instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme. With the release of the fresh instalment, the total disbursement under the scheme will exceed Rs 4.46 lakh crore, since its inception on February 24, 2019, the statement said.

The event will be organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, with the support of the Government of West Bengal.

An amount exceeding Rs 907.21 crore will be transferred to over 45.35 lakh beneficiaries in West Bengal in the 23rd instalment, taking the cumulative disbursement under the scheme in the state to over Rs 15,055 crore since the launch of the scheme in 2019.

On the occasion, to enhance awareness about the Central and State Government schemes, special events will be organised at the state, district, block and gram panchayat levels, with the support of KVKs and local agriculture offices, celebrating the day of the release as “PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas.”

More than 1 crore farmers are expected to connect to the main event via video conferencing, at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ICAR Institutes and Universities, Farmer Producer Organisations, Agriculture Mandis, PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies and village level functions.

Along with the release of the 23rd instalment of PM-KISAN, the Prime Minister will launch various Central Government scheme to benefit farmers in West Bengal. These include the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), extending the benefits of the world’s largest crop insurance scheme to the farmers of the state.

During 2026-27, the initiative aims to provide insurance coverage to nearly 1.10 crore farmers across about 30 lakh hectares of agricultural land, protecting crops with an estimated insured value of Rs 28,140 crore while supporting farmers through substantial premium subsidy. To keep the premium burden on farmers low, the central and state governments will provide premium subsidies of approximately Rs 777 crore.

As part of the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Prime Minister will also launch AgriStack in West Bengal, enabling a unified digital platform for verified agriculture-related services such as fertiliser distribution, Kisan Credit Cards, Direct Benefit Transfers and procurement under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. The initiative will strengthen digital governance in agriculture and facilitate efficient delivery of farmer-centric services.

Besides, the Prime Minister will launch the National Mission on Natural Farming in West Bengal to promote sustainable, chemical-free agriculture rooted in traditional Indian practices. Under the approved Annual Action Plan for 2026–27, the State will establish 346 natural farming clusters covering 17,300 hectares, benefiting 43,250 farmers, while also creating Bio-Input Resource Centres and mobilising Krishi Sakhis to strengthen adoption of eco-friendly farming practices.

In a major step towards integrated agricultural development, the Prime Minister will also initiate the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) in West Bengal. The scheme will cover the districts of Purulia, Darjeeling, Alipurduar and Jhargram with a focus on improving agricultural productivity, promoting crop diversification and sustainable farming, strengthening post-harvest infrastructure and irrigation facilities, enhancing access to institutional credit, and ensuring convergence of multiple Central and State schemes for holistic rural development, the statement added.

–IANS

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