Lok Sabha Question No. 3724 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-16
Subject: Assistance to Small and Marginal Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3724 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16 TH  JULY, 2019

## ASSISTANCE TO SMALL AND MARGINAL FARMERS

## 3724.  SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  implemented  a  financial  assistance  scheme  for  small and marginal farmers holding land upto 2 hectares;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  identified  the  number  of  farmers  covered  under  the scheme  and  if  so,  the  criteria  fixed  by  the  Government  for  inclusion/coverage  of  farmers under the scheme; and
- (d) whether the Government aims to implement the scheme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (c): Yes,  Sir.  With a view to provide income support to the farmers to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs, the Government has introduced a new Central Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAmman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) w.e.f. 01.12.2018. The Scheme provides payment of Rs. 6000/-  per  year,  in  three  4-  monthly  installments  of  Rs.  2000/-.  The  Scheme  was  initially introduced  for  Small  and  Marginal  Farmers'  families  with  cultivable  land  holding  upto  2 hectare.  Later  the  ambit  of  the  Scheme  was  extended  to  cover  all  farmers  in  the  country irrespective  of  the  size  of  their  land  holdings,  except  those  who  are  covered  under  the following exclusion criteria relating to higher income status.
- (a) All Institutional Land holders; and
- (b) Farmer families in which one or more of its members belong to following categories.
- i) Former and present holders of constitutional posts

- ii) Former  and  present  Ministers/State  Ministers  and  former/present  Members  of  Lok Sabha/Rajya  Sabha/State  Legislative  Assemblies/State  Legislative  Councils,  former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
- iii) All serving or retired Officers and employees of Central/State Government Ministries/ Officers/Departments and its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached officers/ Autonomous Institutions under Government as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff/Class IV/Group D employees).
- iv) All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs. 10,000/- or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff/Class IV/Group D employees).
- v) All Persons who paid Income Tax in last assessment years.
- vi) Professionals  like  Doctors,  Engineers,  Lawyers,  Chartered  Accounts  and  Architects registered  with  Professional  bodies  and  carrying  out  profession  by  undertaking practices.

The estimated  number of  landholding farmer  families  eligible  for  the  scheme  in  the country is about 14.50 crore.

(d): The scheme has already been implemented and as on 05.07.2019, 1 st installment to 3,56,03,344  beneficiaries  and  2 nd installment  to  3,10,77,444  beneficiaries  have  been released.

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