SRINAGAR: The 22nd installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi was released on Friday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Rs 18,640 crore transferred directly to the bank accounts of over 9.32 crore farmers across the country under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.
The national event was held at the Jyoti-Bishnu International Cultural Centre in Guwahati, Assam, and was live-streamed in Jammu by the Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare at Baba Jitto Kisan Kendra, Talab Tillo.
The local programme was attended by Arvind Gupta as chief guest along with senior officers of the Agriculture Department and more than 150 farmers from different parts of Jammu district.
Officials said around Rs 4.20 lakh active beneficiaries across the Jammu division received the current installment, with nearly Rs 84 crore credited to farmers’ accounts on Thursday. They added that a cumulative Rs 1,839.27 crore has been disbursed to farmers of the Jammu region under the PM-KISAN scheme since its launch.
Addressing the gathering, Arvind Gupta described the PM-KISAN scheme as a significant initiative recognising farmers as the nation’s “Annadata” and aimed at strengthening the financial security of farming families. He urged farmers to adopt modern and scientific agricultural practices to improve productivity and profitability, and encouraged educated youth to consider agriculture as a viable profession.
The programme was attended by Ashwani Kumar, Joint Director (Inputs); AmanJyoti Sharma, Joint Director (Farms/SLUB); Manohar Lal Sharma, Chief Agriculture Officer Jammu; Rakesh Sharma, District Soil Survey Officer; and several other officers and sectoral heads of the department.
Meanwhile, a Union Territory-level programme for the release of the installment was organised at the Conference Hall of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, KVK RS Pura, Jammu. The event was attended by Neetu Gupta, Secretary Agriculture Production Department; Anil Gupta, Director Agriculture Jammu; and Sanjay Anand, Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) Jammu.
Officials said similar live streaming and awareness programmes were organised across districts, sub-divisions, blocks and panchayats of the Jammu region to mark the release of the installment and to highlight the benefits of the PM-KISAN scheme for farmers.
