Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PIB/PMO)A little over 2.25 crore farmers in the country have received the second installment of Rs 2,000 each under the PM-Kisan scheme. The disbursal of the second installment began on 1 April, reports Financial Express.
Of the total figure, 1.08 crore recipient farmers hail from Uttar Pradesh (UP) which is an electorally important state.
When the Rs 75,000 crore PM-Kisan scheme was announced by the then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal during his interim budget speech, he had said that the scheme would benefit 12 crore farmers, with each receiving Rs 6,000 in a year in three equal installments. The scheme took effect retrospectively from 1 December 2019.
According to the report, Modi government’s intention was to reach as many as eligible farmers as possible before the elections and for this, it had firmed up a list of some 4.76 crore farmers for the cash transfer before Election Commission’s model code of conduct came into effect on 10 March 2019.
Non-cooperation from some opposition-ruled states like West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh also impacted the government’s plans. The deployment of the central and state government staff for election duty further undermined the Centre’s efforts to transfer the initial two installments to all people on the beneficiary list firmed up.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.