PM Kisan Samman Nidhi not covering landless labourers

The Centre gives income support to land-holding farmer families having cultivable land and those working in allied sectors linked to agriculture, but landless labourers cannot be provided benefits by the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.

Replying to supplementary questions in the Upper House of Parliament, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Parshottam Rupala said those working in allied sectors can also not be provided benefits by the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

He said it is for the states to determine who will get the Rs 6,000 assistance under the Centre's scheme.

Replying to another supplementary question on whether landless labourers and cultivators are covered under schemes meant for farmers, Rupala said landless labourers cannot get benefits of schemes meant for farmers unless the states identify them as farmers.

In a written reply, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: "Agriculture being a state subject, the state governments undertake implementation of programmes/schemes for development of the sector. Government of India supplements the efforts of the state governments through various schemes/programmes".

He said the Central government provides income support to all land-holding farmer families in the country having cultivable land as per land records of the concerned state or Union Territory.