Naveen Patnaik urges Narendra Modi to increase PM-KISAN aid to Rs 10,000 from Rs 6,000 annually

Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase assistance under PM-KISAN to Rs 10,000 from Rs 6,000 per year. In a letter written to the prime minister, Patnaik also appealed for the inclusion of landless labourers, sharecroppers and vulnerable agricultural households under the Central sector scheme PM-KISAN. “These categories of agricultural workers are at the bottom of the agriculture economy pyramid, and they deserve special care and attention. Rural prosperity and [caption id=“attachment_4491841” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Twitter @Naveen_Odisha[/caption] reduction in poverty cannot be achieved without an adequate focus on these weaker sections of the populace,” the letter read. He also cited his state’s flagship KALIA scheme and wrote, “Under the KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme of the state government, not only small and marginal farmers but landless labourers, sharecroppers and vulnerable agricultural households are also covered. Under KALIA scheme, annual financial assistance of Rs 10,000 is envisaged for every small and marginal farmer.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme from Gorakhpur on Sunday. Under the scheme, the Central government will, on the same day, make the first installment of Rs 2,000 in the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers. About one crore farmers are expected to receive the first installment on Sunday.