"Day of joy for farmers:" Shivraj Chouhan as PM transfers Rs 18,640 crore under PM-KISAN

New Delhi [India], March 13 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday described the release of the 22nd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme as "a day of joy for farmers", with Prime Minister Narendra Modi transferring Rs 18,640 crore directly into the bank accounts of nearly 9.32 crore beneficiaries.

The fund, routed via Direct Benefit Transfer, supports small and marginal farmers and rural livelihoods.
Addressing the media, Chouhan said, "It is a day of joy for farmers, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi transferred Rs 18,640 crore to the accounts of nearly 9.32 crore farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. This initiative will support small and marginal farmers, support farming investments and minor needs, boosting the rural economy. To date, over Rs 50,000 crore has been distributed under PM-KISAN, with a cumulative amount of Rs 4,09,000 crore transferred so far."
Chouhan's remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released the 22nd instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme to over 9.3 crore farmers across the country, under which eligible farmers receive Rs 2,000 directly into their bank accounts.
Addressing an event in which he unveiled projects of Rs 19,480 crore in the poll-bound state, PM Modi slammed the Congress, accusing it of a "lack of commitment to the nation" and said it "remains focused on spreading misinformation and falsehoods".
"Just a little while ago, a message has reached the accounts of millions of farmers that the PM Samman Nidhi has been deposited... These are the same farmer brothers and sisters, most of whom did not have a mobile phone or any account in a bank before 2014. Today, more than Rs 4 lakh 20,00 crore have been deposited in the accounts of millions of such farmers so far," he said.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), launched on February 2, 2019, has become a transformative force for India's agricultural sector. Under this scheme, every eligible farming family receives an annual benefit of ₹6,000, distributed in three equal installments of ₹2,000 every four months. This amount is directly transferred to the beneficiaries' bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism, making it one of the largest and most transparent DBT schemes globally. (ANI)