Chandigarh: – Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi had launched the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, which had redefined the relationship between farmers and the government. From its very first day, the scheme established, for the first time, a nationwide mechanism to transfer financial assistance directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
The Chief Minister was addressing a programme in Bhiwani on Friday to mark the release of the scheme’s 24th instalment to farmers in Haryana. Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, MP Sh. Dharambir Singh, Bhiwani MLA Sh. Ghanshyam Saraf, Bawani Khera MLA Sh. Kapoor Singh Valmiki, Badhra MLA Sh.Kapoor Singh Valmiki, Vice-Chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, Smt. Meena Parmar, senior officers and other dignitaries were present.
The Chief Minister said more than 86 per cent of India’s farmers were small and marginal farmers. At sowing time, they needed money for seeds, fertilisers and ploughing, often forcing them to borrow from moneylenders at high interest rates. A substantial share of their earnings would thus be committed to debt repayment even before the harvest.
He said the Prime Minister understood this hardship and resolved that farmers should not have to depend on others for essential cultivation expenses. Initially introduced for small and marginal farmers, the scheme was extended within a few months to all landholding farmer families across the country. The Prime Minister’s vision was to make farmers prosperous and strong and increase their income. PM-KISAN had helped strengthen farmers, he added.
The Chief Minister said PM-KISAN had become one of the world’s largest direct benefit transfer schemes. Successive instalments had together delivered more than Rs. 4.47 lakh crore to farmers. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic brought activity across the world to a standstill, more than Rs. 1.71 lakh crore reached farmers under the scheme, helping sustain the rural economy.
*PM Releases 24th Instalment from Banaskantha; Over 9.34 Crore Farmer Families Benefit, Nearly One in Four Beneficiaries Is a Woman Farmer*
The Chief Minister said nearly one in every four beneficiaries under the scheme was a woman farmer. More than Rs. 1.06 lakh crore had reached women farmers directly, without intermediaries, commissions or the need for recommendations.
He said the Prime Minister had released the 24th instalment from Banaskantha in Gujarat. At the press of a button, more than Rs. 18,680 crore was transferred into the accounts of over 9.34 crore farmer families, taking cumulative transfers under the scheme beyond Rs. 4.65 lakh crore.
*Centre Approves Rs. 3.15 Lakh Crore for Scheme up to 2030-31*
The Chief Minister said 16.23 lakh farmer families in Haryana had received Rs. 324.75 crore under the latest instalment. These included 1.21 lakh farmer families in Bhiwani, who received Rs. 24.20 crore.
With the release of 24 instalments, farmers in Haryana had received a cumulative Rs. 8,206.36 crore, he said. The Centre had approved Rs. 3.15 lakh crore for the scheme up to 2030-31, assuring continued support in the years ahead. He described this as Modi Ji’s guarantee to farmers.
Recalling Bhiwani’s heritage, the Chief Minister said the district was known as ‘Chhoti Kashi’ and ‘Mini Cuba’ and was renowned across the country for its boxers. It was also the land of Haryana Kesari Pandit Nekiram Sharma and development stalwart Chaudhary Bansi Lal. Its farmers had kept their fields green through hard work despite limited water and sandy soil, while its youth had defended the nation at the borders, he added.
The Chief Minister said the double-engine government stood with farmers at every stage, from seed to market. Its approach was to ensure that farmers received not only financial assistance but also quality seeds and fertilisers, water, electricity, insurance, remunerative prices, access to good markets and modern technology.
He said Haryana was the first state in the country to procure all 24 crops at minimum support prices. Over the past 13 seasons, Rs. 1.90 lakh crore had been transferred into the accounts of 12 lakh farmers towards crop procurement.
*Strict Law Enacted Against Sale of Spurious Seeds and Pesticides*
The Chief Minister said protected prices had been fixed for 21 horticultural crops under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana to ensure that fruit and vegetable growers were not left behind. Under the scheme, 49,000 farmers had received Rs. 282 crore.
Over the past 12 years, Rs. 16,160 crore had been paid towards crop insurance claims and compensation for crop damage, he said. A strict law had also been enacted against those selling spurious seeds and pesticides to protect farmers from being cheated.
He said the Prime Minister’s initiatives, including crop insurance, Kisan Credit Cards and Soil Health Cards, had become a safety net for farmers.
Referring to the government’s decision for sugarcane growers, the Chief Minister said the sugarcane price had been raised from Rs. 415 to Rs. 430 per quintal for the current crushing season and would increase to Rs. 450 per quintal in the next season. This would raise sugarcane farmers’ income by approximately Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 11,300 per acre in the next season, he added.
*PM Has Turned the National Mission on Natural Farming into a Mass Movement*
The Chief Minister said India’s forebears regarded the earth as a mother and cared for its health. Through the National Mission on Natural Farming, the Prime Minister had transformed this tradition into a mass movement, with Haryana’s farmers participating actively.
He said nearly two lakh farmers had registered three lakh acres for natural farming. Of these, 23,930 farmers had already adopted the practice on 44,000 acres. More than 12,000 farmers had received training at centres in Kurukshetra, Jind, Sirsa and Karnal.
The Chief Minister said Bhiwani’s farmers understood the value of water. Referring to support under PM-KUSUM, he said 1,95,653 solar pumps had been installed with a 75 per cent subsidy, enabling farmers to irrigate their fields using solar energy.
He also commended farmers’ contribution to stubble management and cleaner air. Subsidies totalling Rs. 1,017 crore had been provided for 1.11 lakh crop residue management machines and 6,794 custom hiring centres. In addition, 10 lakh farmers had received incentives worth Rs. 909 crore.
*Government Develops Integrated Value Chain Partnership Model*
The Chief Minister said farming would become profitable when farmers had assured market access alongside production support. To this end, the government had developed an Integrated Value Chain Partnership Model covering the entire chain, from seeds to processing, packaging, branding and marketing.
He said the government was working to realise the vision of enabling Haryana’s farmers to move beyond production and build brands for their produce.
The Chief Minister said the farmer of the future would be equipped with knowledge, science and technology. Drones were already being used to spray fertilisers and crop protection chemicals, while weather information and mandi prices were available on mobile phones.
In the coming years, artificial intelligence would deliver information on crop diseases, soil requirements and the right time for irrigation directly to farmers, he said. AI would benefit not only industries and cities but, above all, farms and farmers.
The Chief Minister said Haryana would complete 60 years of its formation on November 1. Over these six decades, Haryana had become a hub of the nation’s food grain supply, thanks to farmers’ hard work. He called for a collective resolve to conserve every drop of water, restore the health of Mother Earth and adopt new technology.
*Natural Farming Is Part of Our Tradition: Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana*
Addressing the programme, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said PM-KISAN provided farmers with three instalments of Rs. 2,000 each every year, transferred directly into their bank accounts. Small farmers understood the importance of this assistance, he added.
He said the government was also providing subsidies for stubble management, the purchase of machinery and fertilisers.
The Agriculture Minister said natural farming was part of India’s tradition, with cattle playing a special role. He urged farmers to move towards natural farming, beginning by discontinuing the use of fertilisers in fodder cultivation and growing it through natural methods. This, he said, would help ensure pure and tasty milk.