Telangana farmers received ₹27,489 cr under PM-Kisan so far since its launch

PM-KISAN benefits 80 lakh Telangana farmers, with ₹27,489 crore credited by Union Government since its launch, surpassing Andhra Pradesh's DBT.

Around 80 lakh farmers in Telangana are receiving benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 to supplement the financial needs of landholding farmers.

According to the Union department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Union Government has so far credited ₹27,489 crore into the accounts of beneficiary farmers under the PM-Kisan till July 22 this year. The scheme, aimed at direct benefit transfer of ₹6,000 in three instalments every year, started with disbursement of ₹1,069 crore into the accounts of 52.95 lakh beneficiary farmers in the first year i.e., 2018-19.

This was followed by steep rise in the number of beneficiaries in the subsequent years reaching a maximum of 85.83 lakh in financial year 2020-21 when an amount of ₹5,185 crore was transferred into their accounts through DBT mode. The previous year to it i.e., 2019-20 saw 84.69 lakh farmers getting ₹5,079 crore into their accounts.

The number of beneficiaries however saw a decline in the past couple of years with 76.59 lakh getting benefit of ₹4,857 crore in 2023-24 and 71.69 lakh getting ₹1,492 crore during the current fiscal so far. Interestingly, the number of farmers taking benefits under PM-Kisan in Telangana is much higher than the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh which witnessed DBT of ₹15,772 crore during the period with beneficiaries numbering around 49 lakh.

It may be recalled that former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao took claim for the launch of the PM-KISAN asserting that it was modelled on the Rythu Bandhu, farmers investment support scheme, launched by his Government for the first time in the country. The Rythu Bandhu scheme, however, faced severe criticism from the opposition parties, the Congress in particular, which claimed that amounts were being doled out to ineligible beneficiaries in the name of Rythu Bandhu.

Substantiating its claims, the Congress Government which came to power last year alleged that tax payers’ money was being credited forlands not under cultivation and those held by real estate ventures.

The Congress Government had accordingly initiated the exercise to ensure that benefit under Rythu Bandhu, renamed as Rythu Bharosa, are extended to eligible farmers cultivating lands rather than implementing the scheme on a saturation mode.