In Karnataka's Tumakuru, PM Modi To Gift Rs 12,000 Crore New Year Bonanza To Farmers Today

In what can be called as the New Year’s gift, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will disburse Rs 12,000 crore bonanza to farmers at an event in Karnataka’s Tumakuru on Thursday.  Under the flagship PM-Kisan Scheme, six crore farmers will get the funds. He would address a mammoth gathering at the Krishi Karman Awards presentation ceremony and distribution of fishing equipment at the Junior College grounds in Tumakuru. Special security measures have been deployed in view of the VVIP visit. During his stay in Tumakuru, drones will not be allowed and anybody violating the direction will face stringent action, said a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner of the district Dr Rakesh Kumar.

PM Modi will begin his mega outreach programme with visit to famous Sri Siddaganga Math. On Friday, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra Campus at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, before flying to New Delhi in the afternoon. He will also visit the DRDO facility during his Karnataka visit.

The Krishi Karman and Krishi Samman Awards function is being slatted as a grand event. According to official estimate, around 1.5 lakh people will attend the event. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is personally monitoring each and every detail. At the event, PM Modi will give awards to 28 progressive farmers from 21 states. According to official statement, the chief ministers of Manipur and Jharkhand and the Governor of Uttarakhand will also attend the event.

"It will be grand event. Since 1.5 lakh people will take part, we have made arrangements for loudspeakers and LED screens everywhere to avoid any inconvenience to the people," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying. 

The mega event comes at a time when the Opposition has been accusing Centre of not doing enough to tackle the farm distress in India. The flagship programme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi – was launched just before the Lok Sabha Elections last year. Many feel that the scheme was Modi government’s answer to lessen the agrarian burden. According to the official numbers, overall farm sector growth stood at 2.90% in the 2018-19 fiscal. It was 2% and 2.1% in the first and second quarter of the 2019-20 fiscal, respectively.

This year, the Modi government has mega plans to leverage farmers’ data collected under the PM-Kisan scheme for providing better facilities to farmers. The data will be linked with land records, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), crop insurance, soil health card, and other important schemes. The government is also likely to launch few more schemes in the forthcoming budget that would bring a major shift in the agriculture sector.

(With PTI Inputs)