Dehradun/Varanasi – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday digitally transferred over ₹20,500 crore to more than 9.71 crore farmers across the country under the 20th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana, during an event held in Varanasi. As part of this, ₹184.25 crore was credited to the accounts of 8,28,787 farmer families in Uttarakhand.
Participating virtually from Garhi Cantt, Dehradun, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the scheme as transformative for farmers, stating that ₹3,300 crore has been disbursed to the state’s farmers under PM-KISAN so far.
The Chief Minister highlighted various Central and State initiatives benefiting farmers, including:
Interest-free agricultural loans up to ₹3 lakh
Up to 80% subsidy on farm machinery under the Farm Machinery Bank
Free canal irrigation
₹200 crore provision for polyhouse construction
₹20/quintal bonus on wheat and an increase in sugarcane support price
To boost horticulture and crop diversification, he said the state has implemented the Apple Policy, Kiwi Policy, State Millet Mission, and Dragon Fruit Policy, offering up to 80% subsidy to promote high-value crops and coarse grains.
Dhami further informed that Uttarakhand leads the nation in the NITI Aayog’s SDG Index, with a 4.4% drop in unemployment in one year. He credited this progress to effective governance, including the anti-copying law, which has facilitated over 24,000 government job appointments.
Uttarakhand has also become the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code. The government is actively cracking down on unlawful activities through stringent laws against conversion, riots, and land encroachments, with over 6,500 acres of public land reclaimed under Operation Kalanemi.
Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi shared that Uttarakhand received the National Award for Best State in the Millet Sector (2023–24) and earned national recognition for organic farming and soil health efforts.
Additional recognitions included:
Harsh Singh Dangwal of Nainital receiving the Organic India Award
Uttarkashi securing second place under One District-One Product for red rice
Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal earning first and second places, respectively, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
The event was also attended by MLAs Savita Kapoor, Brij Bhushan Gairola, former MP Balraj Pasi, Agriculture Secretary S.N. Pandey, and DG Agriculture Ranveer Singh Chauhan, along with thousands of farmers across the state.
