Ahmedabad, Oct 28 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme at a national-level event in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district on October 30, state Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani said on Wednesday.
Modi is scheduled to visit Gujarat on October 30 and 31.
During an event in Bhildi town, the Prime Minister will disburse the 24th instalment of the PM-Kisan, providing over Rs 18,680 crore to more than 9.34 crore farmer families across the country, the minister said.
In Gujarat, more than 52.33 lakh farmer families will receive financial assistance exceeding Rs 1,051 crore, Vaghani said after reviewing preparations for the ‘PM Kisan Utsav Divas’ event at Bhildi.
The prime minister will also lay the foundation stones for two compressed biogas (CBG) plants being set up by Banas Dairy in Tharad and Radhanpur.
The Tharad plant will process 75 tonnes of cattle dung daily, while the Radhanpur facility will have a processing capacity of 100 tonnes per day.
With the addition of these two plants, the number of Bio-CNG plants under the Banas Model will increase to six, with a combined cattle dung processing capacity of 515 tonnes per day.
Bio-CNG produced from cattle dung is sold at subsidised rates, with Banaskantha Dairy currently supplying around 6,100 kg daily. The six plants are estimated to prevent between 33,400 and 34,600 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
During the October 30 event, Modi will also inaugurate the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC), developed at a cost of Rs 328.77 crore, Vaghani said.
The prime minister will also inaugurate Banas Dairy’s new potato processing expansion project and its ultra-high-temperature (UHT) facility’s automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS).
Under the PM-Kisan scheme, eligible farmer families receive financial assistance of Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments.
Vaghani said that more than Rs 4.47 lakh crore had been disbursed nationally through the previous 23 instalments, while over Rs 24,137 crore had been provided to beneficiaries in Gujarat.
To mark the occasion, 34 district-level and more than 2,100 cluster-level events will be organised across Gujarat, with live broadcasts of the main programme.
Approval letters for various schemes of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments will also be distributed to beneficiaries at these events.
Vaghani reviewed the preparations at Bhildi and held a meeting with local administrative officials. He also attended a virtual review meeting from Gandhinagar with officials and other stakeholders.
Besides the programmes in Banaskantha, the prime minister will attend the National Unity Day celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Narmada district on October 31, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
(PTI News)
