‘Extend PM-Kisan scheme benefits to more farmers’ 

DINDIGUL

Farmers urged the authorities during the monthly grievance meeting held here on Friday to help more farmers following a decline in the number of beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) in 2022.

N. Perumal, district president, All India Kisan Sabha, said that 46.8 lakh farmers had benefitted from the scheme in 2019. (Farmer families get ₹6,000 a year in three instalments of ₹2,000).

“The numbers of beneficiaries sharply declined to 23.04 farmers in 2022 during the disbursal of 11th instalment of funds,” he said and added that the awareness was not enough. “They must give create awareness, reach them via phones, conduct more camps to boost the number,” he said.

Meanwhile, a few farmers highlighted water scarcity in villages surrounding Natham and Sanarpatti. “Water bodies in these villages were not full though there was heavy rain recently but Palani and other parts of the district had an adequate stock of water. We need a mechanism to divert and regulate surplus water to our areas,” said Lakshmana Perumal.

Rajendran of Pappampatti near Palani said farmers had been struggling for the past few years without adequate labourers due to the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The government should take steps to accommodate these workers in agricultural work. He also wanted the authorities to ensure that the organic manure produced at the compost yard in Oddanchatram panchayat was sold to farmers.

Availability of fertilizer in some primary agricultural cooperative societies in Dindigul district was not adequte though the authorities had declared that there was around 1,900 tonnes of fertilizers across the district. The authorities should also ensure availability of urea and potassium.

A few farmers submitted a petition asking the district administration to set up a direct procurement centre at Pillaiyarnatham panchayat in Nilakottai taluk. “Paddy was sown in over 1,200 acres of land in these villages so that a DPC would be useful,” said P. Muthumariappan from Sirunaickenpatti.