Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said in Parliament that 23.38 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the farmers’ pension scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan yojna so far. It was Launched in September 2019 and it meant for old age protection and social security of Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF). It’s a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the entry age group of 18 to 40 years with a provision of Rs 3000 monthly pension on attaining the age of 60 years. “As on date, a total of 23,38,720 farmers have been enrolled across the country…,” Sri Munda said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. As per the operational guidelines of the scheme, the central government matches the contribution made by the beneficiary farmer. This year, an amount of Rs 10,78,51,700 has been collected from farmers of Karnataka under PMKMY and the same contribution has been made by the central government, Munda added.
The application process involves the following steps: Farmers should visit the nearest Common Service Centre. Prerequisites for enrollment include an Aadhaar Card and the Savings Bank Account Number along with the IFSC Code. Initial cash contributions should be made to the Village Level Entrepreneur. The entrepreneur will authenticate the Aadhaar number, subscriber’s name, and date of birth. Online registration is completed by the Village Level Entrepreneur, including bank account details, mobile number, and email address. The system calculates monthly contributions based on the subscriber’s age. The subscriber pays the first subscription amount in cash to the Village Level Entrepreneur. An Enrolment cum Auto Debit mandate form is printed, signed by the subscriber, and scanned by the VLE for upload. A unique Kisan Pension Account Number (KPAN) is generated, and a Kisan Card is printed. While the application process may seem detailed, it ensures a systematic approach to enrolling farmers into the scheme. The initiative aims to provide financial security to small and marginal farmers during their old age, demonstrating the government’s commitment to social welfare in the agricultural sector.
