Odisha CM highlights PM-Kisan benefits, calls farmers 'backbone of society'

Bhubaneswar, March 13 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday hailed farmers as the backbone of society and the true driving force behind Odisha’s economy, emphasising their vital role in the state’s progress.

Addressing the state-level programme for the distribution of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi on the PM Kisan Utsav Diwas, Majhi said, “Farmers are the backbone of our society and the true drivers of our economy.

Both the Central government and our State Government are constantly making efforts to make the slogan ‘Jai Kisan’ meaningful. Without the development of farmers, the development of the country or the state is impossible.”

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the distribution of the 22nd instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in Guwahati, Assam. Around Rs 19,000 crore has been transferred to about 9.32 crore farmers across the country on the occasion.

Majhi said the PM-Kisan scheme is helping farmers purchase seeds, fertilisers, and other agricultural inputs. He added that though modest, the Rs 6,000 annual aid, provided in three equal instalments, is a significant recognition of the hard work of small farmers.

The Chief Minister informed that more than 34.24 lakh eligible farmers in Odisha received financial assistance of Rs 2,000 each, amounting to a total of Rs 684 crore, under the 22nd instalment released on Friday by PM Modi.

Majhi urged farmers to enjoy the benefits of the PM Kisan scheme by completing all the mandatory requirements, such as e-KYC, land record verification, Aadhaar-bank account linking, and correction of names as per Aadhaar.

He further said that along with PM-Kisan, the State Government is also implementing the CM Kisan scheme, under which eligible farmers are being provided Rs 4,000 in two instalments.

He also noted that more than 6 lakh new beneficiaries have been included in this scheme.

CM Majhi said that under this scheme, over 51.54 lakh beneficiaries, including 3,236 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) farmers and 31,695 farmers from urban areas, have so far received financial assistance of over Rs 2,991 crore.

He also stated that the children of beneficiaries of the CM Kisan scheme are being provided scholarships under the Krushi Vidya Nidhi scheme to pursue professional and technical courses. In the 2024–25 academic year, 13,923 students received scholarships worth Rs 53.67 crore under the scheme, which was five times higher than the previous year.

For the 2025–26 academic year, so far 68,915 students have applied for scholarships under the scheme, and Rs 290 crore will be provided as scholarship assistance, which will be a record amount.

“Our government, in coordination with the Central Government, is working to double farmers’ income,” the CM added. He urged farmers to focus on crop diversification and remain aware of climate change, erratic weather, water scarcity, and soil degradation.

--IANS

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