Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana: Narendra Modi launches pension schemes for small farmers, shopkeepers in poll-bound Jharkhand today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation ambitious pension schemes for farmers and small shopkeepers from the poll-bound state of Jharkhand on Thursday. The prime minister, who is visiting Ranchi, will formally launch the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana, which is a government initiative meant to provide social security to small and marginal farmers in their old age. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Mandhan Yojana, farmers between 18 and 40 years of age can make voluntary contributions to the scheme and the amount will be matched by the Government of India. But in any case, the scheme guarantees a minimum of Rs 3,000 monthly pension after reaching the age of 60. [caption id=“attachment_7134121” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Narendra Modi. PTI[/caption] The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has roped in CSC, a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, as an exclusive “enrolling agency” for enrollment of subscribers. Village-level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) run over 2-lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) in villages across India. The VLEs assist the farmers with the enrollment process, which is an online registration process after taking all relevant details of farmers. After the authentication process is completed, the enrolled farmer will be informed and his PM-KMY Pension Card with a unique Pension Account Number will be generated. The scheme is being implemented across the country, including Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Farmers holding up to 2 hectare farmland will be eligible for the PM-KMY scheme. The prime minister will also launch the Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyaparik Mandhan Yojana and Swarojgar pension schemes under which beneficiaries between 18 and 40 years will get Rs 3,000 per month after completing 60 years of age. All shopkeepers, self-employed persons, and retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18 and 40 years can enroll for the scheme. Government has earmarked Rs 750 crore for the scheme in the Union Budget 2019-20. Life Insurance Corporation of India has been chosen as a pension fund manager responsible for managing the pension fund, Central recordkeeping agency and responsible for pension payout. Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das and Governor Draupadi Murmu will be present on the occasion. Modi will also inaugurate the new Jharkhand Assembly building in Ranchi and a multi-modal terminal at Sahibganj, Das said on Tuesday. The multi-modal terminal was built by Inland Waterways Authority of India on River Ganga at Sahibganj. It will have a cargo storing capacity of 30 lakh tonne per year, a stockyard and parking and berthing space for two vessels, he said. Direct and indirect employment for the local people will be generated in the multi-modal terminal, Das said. The chief minister also said that the prime minister will lay foundation stones online for 462 Eklavya Model Schools across the country, of which 69 will be established in 13 of Jharkhand’s 24 districts. Jharkhand is due to go for polls later this year. The prime minister will also lay the foundation for the new building of Jharkhand Secretariat. Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Mandhan Yojana, Das said a total of 1,16,183 farmers in Jharkhand have already registered themselves under the scheme. The prime minister had in September last year launched the Ayushman Bharat health scheme from Ranchi. Meanwhile, the BJP said Jharkhand is getting ‘affection’ continuously from the prime minister while the state had been “neglected” during the Congress regimes. While Modi visited Jharkhand 12 times during his five years and 100 days rule at the Centre, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had come to the state only once in his 10 years of rule at the head of Congress-led UPA, BJP state unit spokesman Pratul Shaw Deo said in a statement. With inputs from PTI