Crores of farmers all over the country are looking forward to the release of the 18th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The anticipation is building up as reports suggest compiling the beneficiary list for the 18th installment is underway. As per these reports, the 18th installment will be available to the farmers in October or November 2024. Farmers received the previous 17th installment of the scheme on 18th June 2024.
What is PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana?
The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is a scheme by the Government of India. This scheme aims to support poor landholding farmers. This scheme is a Central Government Scheme. The money transferred into the farmer’s accounts comes from the Central Government. This scheme was first announced in the Interim Budget of 2019 – 2020 by the then Interim Finance Minister, Piyush Goel.
Under this scheme, poor and marginalized farmers would get Rs.6000 annually as financial support for their agricultural endeavors. The farmers receive this money in three installments of Rs.2000 each. Initially, the scheme was announced only for small landholding farmer families with less than 2 hectares. Later, the government revised the scheme, and all landholding farmers could receive this financial support irrespective of their landholding size.
The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana seems inspired by the Telangana government’s Rythu Bandhu Scheme announced in 2018. Under this scheme, the Telangana government was offering financial support of Rs.8000 in two installments to the farmers in the state.
Not all farmers, however, are eligible for PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. There are some exclusions as well.
Who Is Eligible To Receive Money Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana?
The eligibility for financial aid from the Central Government under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is listed below.
- Be an Indian Citizen
- For a farmer family holding cultivable land
- A farmer family eligible for the scheme comprises a husband, wife, and minor children.
- The farmer must have an Aadhar-linked bank account, as the aid is a direct bank transfer (DBT).
- The farmer’s cultivable land can be in an urban or rural area.
- A farmer who has completed e-KYC for the scheme.
Who cannot receive money under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana?
The scheme is comprehensive and aims to give financial assistance to all farmers, but there are specific categories of farmers who are not eligible for this scheme.
These farmers are:
- Institutional landholders. For example, big organizations that own agricultural land are not eligible for the scheme.
- Farmer families that have members who were former or are present holders of constitutional posts.
- Farmers who are former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils.
- Farmers who are former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations and former Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
- All officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments who are serving or are retired.
- Farmers who are Central or State Public Sector Enterprises and Attached offices /Autonomous Institutions under the Government, as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies.
- However, Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees of the above categories are eligible for PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi.
- All farmers who are superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs. 10,000/ or more.
- However, Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees of the above categories are eligible for PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi.
- Income Tax paying farmers.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana: Registration
Farmers can register for the scheme by:
- Online at the official scheme website or by visiting a CSC.
- Visiting the State Nodal officers appointed for this.
- Taking the help of the local revenue officers, also called patwaris.
The online process for registering as a beneficiary is simple and are as follows;
- Visit the official site https://pmkisan.gov.in/
- Go to Farmers Corner.
- Select New Farmer Registration
- Select whether you are a Rural or Urban farmer.
- Enter your Aadhar number. Only those Aadhar numbers that UIDAI authenticates will be considered valid.
- Enter your mobile number.
- Enter State.
- Enter the Captcha seen.
- Enter the OTP received on phone.
- Proceed further and fill in the other required details like name, age, gender, bank account details, and landholding information.
- Upload a soft copy of the documents.
- Download the acknowledgment slip with the registration number.
How to check PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana Application status?
The farmer can check the status by visiting the official scheme website. The steps to check the status online are as follows:
- Visit the official scheme website.
- In the Farmers Corner, select New Registration Status.
- Enter the Registration Number and Captcha shown there.
- Enter the OTP received on mobile number.
How can you check for a Name on the beneficiary list?
The official website has an updated list of all beneficiaries, available just before the latest installment is released. Farmers should check for their names on the website. The procedure to check the beneficiary list is as follows:
- Visit the official scheme website.
- In the Farmers Corner, select Beneficiary List.
- Enter your State, District, District, Sub-district, Block, and Village name in the required field on the screen.
If a farmer’s name is not on the beneficiary list, it could be due to the following reasons:
- The farmer miswrote the name in the application.
- The name on the bank account is different from the one on the application and Aadhaar.
- The bank IFSC Code needs to be corrected in the application.
- e-KYC still needs to be done.
- Applicant belongs to the “exclusion categories.”
- Invalid Aadhaar.
- The application had duplicate names and details matching an existing beneficiary.
Aadhar verification is required to correct all the above errors. The farmer has to visit the nearest CSC or Sahaj Kendras and verify the Aadhaar.
Success of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
The scheme has been a success since its inception. It is the world’s largest direct benefit transfer scheme. More than 3.24 crores have been transferred, and more than nine crore farmers have received financial assistance under this scheme. Almost 100% fund transfer to all listed beneficiaries in each state with a few exceptions.
Some Important Frequently Asked Questions?
- Is there only one beneficiary in one family?
Yes, only one beneficiary from a family unit comprising a husband, wife, and minor children can claim scheme benefits.
- Can a new name be added as a beneficiary in case of death or transfer due to sale?
Yes, a new beneficiary can claim benefits in case of transfer of land holdings due to death or transfer of land due to sale.
- Can I claim a benefit under PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi if my land is not under cultivation?
This scheme is for farmers who cultivate their land. It is not for agricultural land used for other commercial purposes.
- Can I be a beneficiary if I pay income taxes?
No, an income tax payee cannot claim benefits under the PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi.
- Can a woman claim benefits under this scheme?
One family member, regardless of gender, can claim benefits under this scheme if they meet all other eligibility criteria.
- What should I do if my name is not on the beneficiary list?
Visit the nearest CSC, Sahayta Kendra, Revenue, or Nodal office for help. Aadhaar verification is required to make changes. Officers may require your biometric authentication.
- Are urban farmers eligible for this scheme?
Yes, regardless of urban or rural status, all farmers can apply for this scheme.
- Can I claim benefits for previous years when my name was not on the list?
No, a farmer can claim benefits only when his name appears on the official beneficiary list. This is done after completing all formalities, including the e- KYC.
- Can I claim benefits if I live in a joint family system?
A farmer can claim benefits for a family consisting of a husband, wife, and minor children. The landholdings have to be in the claimant’s name.
- What happens if a beneficiary gives false information when receiving benefits?
The farmer is liable to pay the benefits received under the scheme. He also will face penal action and fines.
Conclusion
The PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi scheme wants to ensure farmers’ dignity. The financial support is the government’s acknowledgment of farmer hardships. This scheme is a success, with crores of farmers benefitting from it. The farmers eagerly await the 18th installment and hope for a speedy disbursal of this next installment.
