Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the 13th instalment of over Rs 16,000 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), through direct benefit transfer to more than eight crore beneficiaries.

Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each.

During the programme, Modi also dedicated the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building, to the nation. The railway station has been redeveloped at an approximate cost of about Rs 190 crore to provide world-class amenities to the passengers.

Another railway project that was dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister is the rail line doubling project between Londa-Belagavi-Ghataprabha section at Belagavi.

This project, developed at a cost of about Rs 930 crore, will enhance line capacity along the busy Mumbai – Pune – Hubballi – Bengaluru railway line, leading to promotion of trade, commerce and economic activities in the region, according to an official release.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of six multi-village scheme projects under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission in Belagavi, which will be developed at a cumulative cost of about Rs 1,585 crore and benefit about 8.8 lakh people living in more than 315 villages.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of state Shobha Karandlaje, ministers of the state government, among others were present at the event.

PM Modi is on a day-long visit to Karnataka, where Assembly polls are due in May. He inaugurated the greenfield Shivamogga airport earlier in the day.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, launched by Modi in 2019, aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to specific exclusions.

All landholding farmer families in the country are eligible under PM-KISAN, subject to certain exclusion criteria. Till now, over Rs 2.25 lakh crore funds have been disbursed to more than 11 crore farmer families, primarily the small and marginal.

According to officials, during the Covid lockdown, Rs 1.75 lakh crore were distributed in multiple instalments to support these farmers facing hardship. The scheme has also benefited over three crore women beneficiaries who have collectively received over Rs 53,600 crore in funds.

The 11th and 12th instalments under the scheme were given in May and October last year.

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