Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across the country organized special programmes on June 20 to coincide with the release of the 23rd installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Tarakeswar in Hooghly district of West Bengal.
Under the latest installment, the Prime Minister transferred more than Rs 18,880 crore directly into the bank accounts of over 9.44 crore farmer beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism. More than 2.18 crore women farmers are also among the beneficiaries of the tranche.
As part of the nationwide outreach effort, PACS organized gatherings where farmers, cooperative members and rural stakeholders watched the Prime Minister’s address through live telecasts.
The societies also used the occasion to disseminate information regarding PM-KISAN benefits, eligibility requirements and the importance of maintaining updated records and e-KYC compliance for uninterrupted receipt of benefits.
Launched in 2019, PM-KISAN provides eligible farmer families with income support of Rs 6,000 annually, paid in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each. The scheme has emerged as one of the world’s largest direct income support programmes for farmers, with cumulative transfers running into several lakh crore rupees since its inception.
The Ministry of Cooperation highlighted that the PM-KISAN scheme and the cooperative network are complementing each other in strengthening rural livelihoods. PACS, which are being transformed into multipurpose cooperative institutions under ongoing reforms, are increasingly serving as local centres for agricultural services, credit delivery, awareness generation and government outreach.
Officials said the combination of direct financial assistance through PM-KISAN and grassroots support provided by cooperative institutions is helping strengthen farmers’ economic security and self-reliance.
The initiative, they noted, is aligned with the national vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation), which seeks to place cooperatives at the centre of inclusive rural development and agricultural growth.
Among others, IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani joined the virtual programme organised at GUJCOMASOL headquarters in Gandhinagar on this occasion.