PM-KISAN scheme: PM Modi to release 17th installment worth ₹20,000 crore today; how to check beneficiary status

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to release the 17th installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi – a central monetary assistance scheme for farmers – during his visit to Varanasi on June 18.

Due to the rollout of the scheme’s 17th installment, “more than 9.26 crore farmers will receive the benefits amounting to over ₹20,000 crore,” the Ministry of Agriculture said in an official release.

The release of monetary assistance to the eligible farmers was one of the first decisions finalised by the Narendra Modi-led government, following the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

In the run-up to the polls, the Centre faced agrarian protests in some northern states, with several farmer groups pressing with their demand for a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).

"Ours is a government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan. It is, therefore, fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare," PM Modi had said on June 10.

PM Kisan Nidhi: How to check beneficiary status?

• Visit the official website — pmkisan.gov.in
• Go to ‘Know Your Status’ tab
• Fill in your registration number and Captcha Code
• Select ‘Get Data’ option
• Your beneficiary status will be shown on the screen.

Notably, the PM-KISAN scheme was launched on February 24, 2019, to supplement the financial needs of all land-holding farmers subject to certain exclusion criteria of higher income status.

As per the scheme, a financial benefit of ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments, at every four months, is transferred into the bank accounts of farmers’ families across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

Till now, over ₹3.04 lakh crore has been disbursed to more than 11 crore farmers across the nation. With the release of the 17th installment, the total amount transferred to the beneficiaries since the inception of the scheme will cross ₹3.24 lakh crore.