In a mega pre-election decision, the Narendra Modi government may double the income support for women farmers. A provision of Rs 12,000 crore would be needed to meet the additional financial burden, say party insiders. At present, farmers get Rs 6,000 per year under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and the government may announce—probably in the vote on account—an enhanced yearly payout of Rs 12,000 in case of women farmers.
The move is expected to get the ruling BJP rich dividends in terms of heightened support from women voters. As per government data, about 60% of the 26 crore farmers in the country are women, but just 13% of them are landowners. The thinking within the government is that any enhancement in financial assistance to women farmers may not have a significant impact on government expenditure but may bring about a big change in the lives of women and boost the agenda of women-led development.
Prime Minister Modi has been reaching out to women in his speeches and the government’s policies have aggressively moved towards empowerment of women. Though the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture have not made public any possible plans for such a financial boost for women farmers, sources said that a provision for Rs 12,000 per annum may be made in the vote on account to be presented in February.
It was in 2019 that for the first time a proposal for enhanced payment for women farmers was made public by the Narendra Modi government. PM Kisan Samman Nidhi is a Central sector scheme, with 100% funding from the Central government that became operational from 1 December 2018. The experiment by the government to reach out to 26 crore farmers had paid rich electoral dividends in the 2019 parliamentary elections with the party crossing the 300-seat mark.
Under PKSN scheme an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments is provided to all land holding farmer families. The definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children. State governments and UT administrations identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines. The fund is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
A BJP leader said the Prime Minister has formulated and implemented various schemes giving priority to women. He is also making efforts to bring them to leadership positions with the passing of the law, introducing 33% reservation for women. In a related development, Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has crossed a major milestone in its first 50 days with over 10 crore people participating in it.
A BJP leader said that this staggering number indicates the ability of the Yatra in uniting people across the nation towards a shared vision of Viksit Bharat. Incidentally, the number of participants in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is higher than the entire population of some major countries like Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and South Africa.
The massive support for the yatra demonstrates the steadfast dedication of citizens to build a Viksit Bharat, said a BJP leader.