Extending the assured income support (PM Kisan) scheme for farmers, approved by the new government in its first cabinet meeting last Friday, will also benefit over eight lakh big land holders–having landholding size of 10 hectares (nearly 25 acres) and more–across the country.
Rajasthan alone has 43%(3.6 lakh) out of the 8.3 lakh big farmers in India.
The scheme was extended on Friday by removing the ceiling of two hectares, making all 14.5 crore farmers eligible for benefit under the PM-Kisan. Under the scheme , each of the land holding farmer is eligible to get Rs 6000=per annum in three equal instalments as assured support from the centre. Landless farmers and sharecroppers do not qualify for the benefit under the scheme.
The operational guidelines of the scheme excludes those landholder farmer families from the list of beneficiaries whose one or more members are either former or present MPs, MLAs, mayors,chairpersons of district panchayats or holders of any constitutional posts.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi,Tuesday June 4, 2019, page 1
