New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the government is fully prepared to extend the benefits of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to all eligible farmers who have not yet been included in the scheme. Under this scheme, eligible farmers receive Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments.

Chouhan urged state governments to cooperate in identifying left-out farmers and ensuring their registration under the scheme. He assured that once included, the pending instalments would also be credited to the farmers.

“If any eligible farmer is still left out, we are ready to include them and provide their past instalments as well. Our aim is to ensure that no farmer is deprived of the benefits,” Chouhan stated during the Question Hour.

He emphasized that all beneficiaries must possess at least one piece of land, complete their eKYC (Know Your Customer), and register themselves on the PMKISAN portal to receive the direct benefit transfer (DBT) in their bank accounts. The payment is made in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each.

The minister reaffirmed the Modi government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare, assuring that every eligible farmer will receive their financial support without any delay.

Addressing a question related to Tamil Nadu, Chouhan clarified that the central government does not discriminate against any state. He mentioned that he had visited Tamil Nadu twice but did not receive any response from the state’s agriculture or rural development ministers during the meetings. Despite that, he expressed willingness to visit the state again to address farmers’ issues and ensure they receive their benefits.

The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana was launched on December 1, 2018, and provides Rs 6,000 annual income support to land-holding farmer families. The scheme is 100% centrally funded, with state governments identifying eligible beneficiaries.

On February 24, 2025, the government disbursed the last instalment of the scheme, transferring Rs 22,000 crore to 9.8 crore farmers, including 2.41 crore women farmers, through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.