Bhubaneswar: The 23rd installment of the PM Kisan Yojana was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from Tarakeswar in Hooghly, West Bengal on Saturday.
Over Rs 692.86 crore was disbursed to more than 34.64 lakh beneficiaries in Odisha with the fresh release, officials said.
Across the nation, more than Rs 18,880 crore in financial assistance has been transferred to the bank accounts of over 9.44 crore farmers.
The PM Kisan Yojana is a flagship farmer welfare scheme of the country. Under this Central government initiative, farmers can utilize the financial aid to purchase seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other essential agricultural inputs. Eligible farmers receive a total of Rs 6,000 annually in three equal installments. To honour the “Annadatas”, this day is being celebrated across the nation and the state as
‘Rashtriya Krushak Utsav Divas.’
The state-level event for the distribution of PM Kisan assistance, organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, was held at the Mahtab Bhawan Town Hall in Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj district.
Addressing the farmers, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, stated that Odisha is one of the states in India where the government is procuring paddy from farmers at Rs 3,100 per quintal, even during the Rabi season.
He noted that over the last two years, the state’s farmers have successfully grown and exported fruits and vegetables to foreign countries, earning good income and bringing the vision of “If the farmer smiles, the nation smiles” to reality.
The Deputy CM warned that there is a possibility of an ‘El Niño’ impact this year and advised farmers to cultivate short-duration crop varieties to ensure that their production remains unaffected. Furthermore, in line with the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Atmanirbhar’ (Self-reliance), he encouraged farmers to increase the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds in the state.
He assured that the government would procure these crops from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which will help make Odisha self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Agriculture Department, Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, delivered the welcome address, urging all eligible farmers to register themselves under the PM Kisan Yojana to avail the benefits.