Lok Sabha Question No. 342 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Financial Assistance under PM-KISAN Scheme
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Smt. Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 342

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER PM-KISAN SCHEME

342. SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM: Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state: (a) the details of total financial assistance disbursed under the PM-KISAN scheme and the number of beneficiaries; (b)  whether  the  scheme  has  contributed  to  reducing  farmer  debt  burdens  and increasing agricultural productivity, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government has taken steps to ensure widespread awareness about PMKISAN scheme, if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether there is a grievance redressal mechanism where farmers can report any grievances and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a):  The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Hon'ble Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers. Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000/- per year is transferred in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

A farmer-centric digital infrastructure has ensured the benefits of the scheme reach  all  the  farmers  across  the  country  without  involvement  of  any  middlemen. Maintaining  absolute  transparency  in  registering  and  verifying  beneficiaries,  the Government of India has disbursed over Rs 3.46 lakh Cr. in 18 installments since inception.

(b):    An  independent  study  conducted  by  the  International  Food  Policy  Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2019. According to the study, funds disbursed under the PM-KISAN have  acted  as  a  catalyst  in  rural  economic  growth,  aided  in  alleviating  the  credit constraints of farmers, and increased investments in agricultural inputs. Further, the scheme has enhanced farmers' risk-taking capacity, leading them to undertake riskier but comparatively productive investments. The funds received by recipients under PMKISAN are not only helping them with their agricultural needs, but it is also catering to their  other  expenses  such  as  education,  medical,  marriage,  etc.  These  are  the indicators  of  the  positive  impact  of  the  scheme  on  the  farmers  of  the  country.  PM KISAN has truly been a game changer for the farming community of our country. (c):  The Government of India and state governments undertake several activities for the publicity of PM-KISAN, including print advertisements in newspapers at regular intervals, outreach through social media, programs on DD Kisan, etc. Furthermore, the  Ministry  also  provides  administrative  expenses  to  the  States/UTs  for  the implementation of PM-KISAN, including publicity/awareness drives. Further, Common Service  Centres  (CSCs)  are  engaged  to  do  publicity  of  the  Scheme  and  create awareness  at  the  ground  level  so  that  all  eligible  farmers  are  covered  under  the Scheme. (d):   PM-KISAN Scheme has a robust grievance redressal mechanism. There is a dedicated grievance module on the PM-KISAN Portal for raising grievances by the farmers. Apart from the PM-KISAN grievance module, farmers can also register their grievances  through  Centralized  Public  Grievance  Redress  And  Monitoring  System ( CPGRAMS)  Portal.  These  grievances  are  addressed  by  the  State/District  level officials in a time bound manner. Further,  Considering  the  large  beneficiary  base  of  the  scheme,  to  promptly address the general queries and grievances raised by the beneficiaries, a voice-based PM-KISAN AI Chatbot (Kisan e-Mitra) was developed. This Chatbot provides quick, accurate,  and  clear  responses  to  farmers'  queries  round  the  clock  in  their  native languages, making the system more accessible and user-friendly. It is accessible on all platforms such as web, mobile, etc. The Kisan eMitra Chatbot currently operates in 11  languages-English,  Hindi,  Odia,  Tamil,  Bengali,  Malayalam,  Gujarati,  Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi. So far, over 91 lakh queries  of  more  than  52 lakh

farmers have been addressed.

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