The central government of India has been providing financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per annum to farmers across the country through the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. However, the Maharashtra government has recently announced a new scheme for farmers, similar to the PM Kisan scheme, which will provide Rs 6,000 per year to farmers in the state. With this new scheme, farmers in Maharashtra will receive a total of Rs 12,000 per year - Rs 6,000 from the central government and Rs 6,000 from the state government.
The Maharashtra government's announcement was made by Devendra Fadnavis, who is the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and is in charge of the Finance Ministry, during the presentation of the Maharashtra Budget. The scheme is expected to benefit more than 1.5 crore farmers in the state.
Similar schemes have also been launched by other state governments, such as the Krishak Bandhu scheme in West Bengal, which provides financial assistance to farmers in that state. The central government's PM Kisan scheme is also being implemented across the country, with more than 13 installments of Rs 6,000 already paid directly to farmers' accounts.
In addition to the financial assistance provided by the government, the Maharashtra government has also announced a 50% discount on state transport buses for women and an opportunity for farmers to avail crop insurance at a premium of just Rs 1.
The announcement of the new scheme in Maharashtra comes after a long farmers' agitation against the Modi government's decision to handover agriculture to the corporate sector. The government was forced to reverse its earlier decision in the face of the agitation. With the new scheme, the Maharashtra government is following the path of the central government in providing financial support to farmers.