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The BJP deliberately chose Gorakhpur in UP to launch the scheme to reassert the importance of the state in the party's larger agenda given the fact that it has 80 Lok Sabha seats.
Virendra Singh Rawat reports.
Facing anti-incumbency and the spectre of a formidable Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party combine in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to reap a rich electoral harvest from 'PM Kisan', the flagship minimum income guarantee scheme for small and marginal farmers.
So far, more than 10 million UP farmers have already received the first installment of Rs 2,000 in their bank accounts, totalling over Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) in payouts.
Together with the PM Kisan dole and the earlier UP crop loan waiver scheme worth Rs 36,000 crore (Rs 360 billion), the Ajay Singh Bisht government in UP is confident it would be able to turn the tide in the BJP's favour during voting.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM Kisan) is targetted at over 120 million small and marginal farmers across India, of which UP comprises the maximum number of 21.4 million farmers or nearly 18% of beneficiaries.
PM Kisan is estimated to cost Rs 75,000 crore (Rs 750 billion) annually.
It guarantees an income of Rs 6,000 annually, payable in equal instalment of Rs 2,000 every four months.
The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi at a Gorakhpur rally on February 24.
The BJP deliberately chose Gorakhpur in UP to launch the scheme to reassert the importance of the state in the party's larger agenda given the fact that it has 80 Lok Sabha seats.
"So far, more than 10.03 million small and marginal farmers have received money in their bank accounts," says UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait claimed although PM Kisan does not fully compensate against rising farm input costs, it provided temporary relief to farmers to meet sundry agricultural expenses.
SP President Akhilesh Yadav has put PM Kisan in dock alleging the money being credited to the farmers's bank accounts was getting forfeited within 24 hours.
Akhilesh based his allegation on media reports and feedback from beneficiaries. He demanded a probe even as he flayed the Modi government for allegedly duping the farmers with false promises.
