PM to roll out income scheme for farmers on Sunday

A senior journalist working with an English daily in Lucknow got a call from a bank manager from Siwan in Bihar asking him to get his bank account `operational’ because he is one of the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.

The journalist, who hails from Bihar, was taken aback because he is not a marginal or small farmer. Nor is his income less that ₹10,000, a mandatory clause under the scheme.

Similar calls are going out, it seems, to many more people. Just as a hype was created before the Uttar Pradesh assembly election to convey to people that money is about to be put into their accounts by the Government, the attempt before the general election is to ensure that some people do get the money while others, even if they are not eligible, receive the hope that payment would be made after the election.

In Lucknow, a retired employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) also received a call from a bank manager in Bakshi ka Talab asking him get his account in a rural branch linked with Aadhar because he would be getting money under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The person got KYC of his bank account done though he knows that he is not entitled to be a beneficiary under the scheme.

On February 24 Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be launching the ambitious PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana from Gorakhpur. The scheme promises small and marginal farmers a direct income transfer of ₹6000 per year to be paid in three quarterly instalments. The money will directly go to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries and the Government has geared up to transfer the first instalment of ₹2000 in the next few weeks.

As it was launched retrospectively from December 1, 2018, though the budget announcement came in February, the first instalment of ₹2,000 is being paid within the current fiscal ending March 31.

The scheme was announced in Union Budget 2019-20 on February 1 by Piyush Goyal, the acting Finance Minister. The scheme guarantees annual financial support of ₹6,000 to about 125 million small and marginal farmers with land holdings of less than two hectares. The poor whose family income is less than ₹10,000 also comes under this scheme. The project will cost ₹75,000 crore annually.

Uttar Pradesh would be the biggest beneficiary with almost 23.5 million small and marginal farmers falling under the umbrella.

Primary school teachers have been deployed to ensure linking of farmers’ accounts with banks. “This is a government scheme and primary teachers are an important link to ensure people get the benefit of government schemes,” an official informed.