Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 31
At its maiden meeting, the Narendra Modi Cabinet 2.0 today decided on a slew of welfare measures aimed at helping farmers and small traders. It expanded the ambit of the PM-Kisan scheme by doing away with the landholding cap, besides introducing two pension schemes.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, “It has been decided to extend the ambit of PM-Kisan scheme by including all landholding eligible farmer families, subject to the exclusion criteria.”
The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the Interim Budget under which the government had decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three instalments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.
Tomar said, “Now, the revised scheme envisages to cover around two crore more farmers, which increases the coverage to 14.5 crore beneficiaries.”
He said the total burden on the exchequer would increase by Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 87,217.50 crore for 2019-20.
The government has also decided to launch a prototype pension scheme for an estimated three crore retail traders and shopkeepers. “All shopkeepers and self-employed persons as well as retail traders with a GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged 18-40 years can enrol,” a statement said.
Tomar said the Cabinet, in another decision, approved the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana under which small and marginal farmers will get a minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 per month on attaining the age of 60 years for a paltry premium.
“In the initial phase, the government will cover minimum five crore small and marginal farmers in the first three years,” the minister said. Eligible farmers can enter the “voluntary and contributory” pension scheme between 18 and 40 years of age and the Centre will match the contribution made by prospective beneficiaries in the pension fund.
After the subscriber’s death, while receiving pension, the spouse of the beneficiary will be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension amount, the government later said. Tomar later said the portfolio of the two pension schemes would be managed by Life Insurance Corporation of India.
Scholarship hiked
- Major changes in PM’s Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund
- Rates of financial assistance enhanced for children of martyred personnel of armed forces, Central and state police organisations
- Scholarships up from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 a month for boys and from Rs 2,250 to Rs 3,000 a month for girls
- Every year, scholarships are given to 5,500 wards of armed forces, 2,000 wards of paramilitary forces and 150 of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways
- Now, 500 wards of state police personnel to be added
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2KiylsW
via Today’s News Headlines
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