Fri Oct 04 17:16:03 UTC 2024: ## PM Modi to Release 18th Installment of PM Kisan Scheme in Maharashtra
**Washim, Maharashtra:** Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 18th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on October 5, 2024, in Washim, Maharashtra. This event will see over ₹20,000 crore disbursed directly to over 9.4 crore farmers across the country through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, eliminating any intermediaries.
The event will be graced by the presence of Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, and Minister of Soil and Water Conservation Sanjay Rathore, who also holds charge of Washim and Yavatmal districts.
The program will be attended virtually by around 2.5 crore farmers, including those from 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), over 1 lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and 5 lakh Common Service Centers across India. The day of the fund release will be celebrated as PM-Kisan Utsav Divas, with special events planned in states and union territories.
Launched on February 24, 2019, the PM-KISAN scheme provides ₹6,000 per year to landholding farmers in three equal installments. With the release of the 18th installment, the total amount disbursed under the scheme will exceed ₹3.45 lakh crore. This program supports over 11 crore farmers nationwide and reinforces the government’s commitment to rural development and agricultural prosperity.
Maharashtra, in particular, has benefited significantly from the scheme, with nearly ₹32,000 crore transferred to approximately 1.20 crore farmers across 17 installments, the second-highest amount in India. The 18th installment will benefit around 91.51 lakh farmers in the state with over ₹1,900 crore.
In addition to the PM-Kisan installment, Prime Minister Modi will also release the 5th installment of the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana, providing an additional benefit of around ₹2,000 crore to Maharashtra farmers.
The event will also witness the inauguration of various projects completed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) within the first 100 days of the new government. Launched in 2020, the AIF provides medium to long-term debt financing facilities to expand post-harvest management infrastructure and community agricultural assets.
This initiative offers loans up to ₹1 lakh crore to eligible borrowers with a 3% interest subsidy and credit guarantee facility. In the last 100 days, over 10,066 agri-infrastructure projects have been approved across the country, with a total sanctioned amount of ₹6,541 crore (including 101 FPO projects with a sanctioned amount of ₹97.67 crore). Further, 7,516 projects, including 35 FPO projects worth ₹13.82 crore, have been completed with a total sanctioned amount of ₹1,929 crore and will be inaugurated. These projects are strengthening agri-infrastructure, improving storage, processing, and logistics facilities, and empowering FPOs to expand their operations, significantly benefiting farmers and the entire agricultural sector.
In a bid to establish a robust value chain and support small, marginal, and landless farmers, the Government of India initiated the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) for the formation and encouragement of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), covering every block in the country. To date, approximately 9,200 FPOs have been established, benefiting 24 lakh farmers, including 8.3 lakh women and 5.77 lakh ST and SC beneficiaries. These FPOs now have a combined annual turnover exceeding ₹1,300 crore and will also be dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister during the event.
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