As many as 43.20 lakh farmers from Andhra Pradesh have received funds from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan) till November this year, under which the central government gives Rs 6,000 per annum in three equal installments.
As per the agriculture ministry data, till November this year about 46.86 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the scheme in Andhra Pradesh, out of which the central government has released funds to 43.20 lakh farmers.
Among districts, the funds were released to about 4.72 lakh farmers in Anantapur, 4.05 lakh in Kurnool, 4 lakh in East Godavari, 3.89 lakh in Guntur, 3.75 lakh in Chittoor, 3.48 lakh in Prakasam, 3.22 lakh in West Godavari and 3.04 lakh in Krishna so far.
Besides, the funds were released to 2.83 lakh farmers in Visakhapatanam, 2.56 lakh in YSR district, 2.40 lakh in Vizianagaram and 2.28 lakh in Nellore, the data showed. The target is to cover 83.82 lakh farmers in Andhra Pradesh under the scheme.
Under the PM-Kisan scheme, which was launched in February this year, the central government has transferred funds to 7.60 crore beneficiaries across the country till November 30. About Rs 35,882.8 crore has so far been disbursed to beneficiaries.
From December onwards, the Centre has decided to transfer funds under the PM-Kisan to only Aadhaar-authenticated bank accounts of eligible farmers.
According to the ministry, the release of installments to beneficiary farmers are in various stages of progress. Some farmers have got all three installments, some only two and some only one, depending upon the four-monthly period in which they have been first registered by the concerned state governments.
In October, the Andhra Pradesh government launched the ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme, which provides a cash incentive for farm inputs. Under the scheme, land holder farmers owning up to five acres will be provided with an annual benefit of Rs 13,500. The amount includes the annual benefit of Rs 6,000 per family provided by the Centre under the PM KISAN Yojana. Landless cultivators or tenant farmers from SC, ST, BC and minority groups are also covered by the state government’s scheme.
Inaugurating the scheme, Jagan had released an amount of Rs 3,785 crore towards 38 lakh farmers in the state. The farmer welfare scheme was one of the nine key promises among the ‘Navaratnalu’ made by the YSRCP in its election campaign. J