PM Modi releases Rs 18,000 crore under Kisan Samman Nidhi, interacts with farmers

PM Modi virtually interacted with farmers from six states

Amid speculation that the December instalment of PM-Kisan disbursals may be delayed due to farmers’ protest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday transferred Rs 18,000 crore to the accounts of more than nine crore farmers and interacted with them through video conferencing asking them not to pay heed to certain political leaders politicking on farm laws.

The money was released on the birth anniversary of former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which is celebrated each year as "Good Governance Day". A sum of Rs 2,000 has been credited to the farmers account under PM-Kisan Sammnan Nidhi Yojana under which each beneficiary farmer is entitled Rs 6,000 in a year. The money is provided to small and marginal farmers in three equal instalments.

“Ever since the scheme has started a sum of Rs 1,10,000 has reached to the accounts of farmers,” Modi said interacting with the community across seven states and took the opportunity to lash on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, whose government has stopped the verification process for such benefits to farmers long ago.

"I regret that more than 70 lakh farmers and my brothers and sisters from West Bengal have not been able to get this benefit. More than 23 lakh farmers from Bengal have applied online but the state government has stopped verification process long ago,” he said.

“Her actions against farmers has hurt me a lot,” Modi said as he sought to know why the Opposition was silent on the matter.

“These parties who do not talk about the interest of farmers in West Bengal, come to Delhi and talk about them. These parties who talk about APMC mandis, have forgotten that there are no APMC mandis in Kerala. They never protest in Kerala,” he said interacting with leaders of farming community at more than 19,000 locations.

The government has been insisting that the farm sector reforms are in the interest of farmers and not in the interest of corporates.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah too interacted with a select group of farmers.

"No corporate can snatch away any farmer's land as long as Narendra Modi is Prime Minister," he said.

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government has invited the protesting farmers for talks and said he was hopeful the farmers will understand the new farm law.