Bhildi, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, transferring more than Rs 18,680 crore to over 9.34 crore farmer families across the country from Bhildi in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district.
The national-level PM Kisan Utsav Diwas was organised under the Prime Minister’s leadership, with the instalment providing continued financial assistance to farmers across India.
Of the total beneficiaries, more than 52.33 lakh farmer families in Gujarat will receive assistance exceeding Rs 1,051 crore.
Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani had announced these figures while briefing the media after reviewing preparations for the event in Bhildi.
According to Vaghani, the first 23 instalments of the scheme had resulted in the disbursement of more than Rs 4.47 lakh crore to over 11 crore farmer families across the country.
In Gujarat, more than 69.26 lakh beneficiary farmers had received over Rs 24,137 crore during the same period.
The 24th instalment was released as part of the national-level programme, which was broadcast live across the country and Gujarat. The state organised 34 district-level programmes and more than 2,100 cluster-level events to enable farmers to participate in the celebrations.
Ministers, Members of Parliament, MLAs, elected representatives, agricultural scientists and senior government officials were scheduled to attend these programmes.
Beneficiary farmers were also to receive sanction letters for various schemes implemented by the Agriculture and Horticulture departments. The PM-KISAN scheme provides income support to eligible farmer families across the country through direct benefit transfers.
The latest disbursement is part of the Centre’s continued financial assistance to agricultural households.
The Bhildi programme was also linked to the inauguration and foundation-laying of several agriculture and animal husbandry projects in Banaskantha.
These included the Rs 328.77-crore Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre, two proposed compressed biogas plants of Banas Dairy at Tharad and Radhanpur, and the inauguration of the dairy’s expanded potato processing plant and automated storage and retrieval system for ultra-high-temperature products.
Vaghani had said that the Prime Minister’s visit would also include programmes at Ekta Nagar.
On Friday evening, PM Modi is scheduled to visit the Bharat Parv pavilion at the Statue of Unity complex and attend a theatrical presentation of ‘Anandamath’ by the National School of Drama at the cultural ground.
On October 31, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, the Prime Minister will offer floral tributes at the Statue of Unity and inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development projects in Ekta Nagar.
He is also scheduled to attend the ‘Aarambh 2026’ programme, interact with trainee civil servants at Tent City and participate in the main Rashtriya Ekta Diwas ceremony at the parade ground, where he will inspect the parade and take the salute.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi are also scheduled to accompany the Prime Minister during the Ekta Nagar programmes.
–IANS
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