Indian PM Narendra Modi releases 13th tranche of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme funds to farmers

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has releasedthe 13th installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) aid for farmers during his visit to southern Karnataka state on Monday.

Around Rs 168 billion has been earmarked for the current tranche of funds, in which around 80 million farmers will receive Rs 2,000 directly into their bank accounts.

The PM-KISAN is a government scheme through which small and marginal farmers receive a minimum income support of Rs 6,000 per year— paid in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 every four months.

Introduced by the government in 2018, the scheme aims to cover 125 million farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholding in India.

Apart from that, the prime minister will also inaugurate several infrastructure-related projects in the poll-bound state.

The Indian prime minister will inaugurate the Shivamogga airport with a lotus-shaped terminal. It was re-developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. The passenger terminal building of the airport can handle 300 passengers per hour.

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It is expected to improve connectivity and accessibility from Shivamogga and other neighbouring areas in the Malnad region of Karnataka, officials said, according to PTI news agency.

This is Modi's fifth visit this year to poll-bound Karnataka, where Assembly elections are due by May.

The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for multiple road development projects, which will be developed at a combined cost of more than Rs 2.15 billion.

During the programme, the Indian leader will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multi-village schemes worth more than Rs 9.5 billion under the Jal Jeevan Mission—a government scheme that seeks to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.

Modi will also inaugurate 44 Smart City Projects worth more than Rs 8.95 billion in Shivamogga city.

(With inputs from agencies)

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