Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday, 13 August approved a combined outlay of ₹605.71 crore for two states — ₹340.59 crore for Rajasthan and ₹265.12 crore for Telangana — under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PMRKVY) and the Krishonnati Yojana. The releases are intended to accelerate agricultural infrastructure, productivity enhancement, and farmer welfare programmes in both states.

How the Approvals Were Cleared

The financial approvals were issued during a virtual meeting convened by Chouhan from Bhopal, attended by Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena and Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra and senior Union Government officials also participated, alongside state-level agriculture department heads.

The disbursements followed a review of annual action plans cleared at Project Approval Committee meetings of both states, an assessment of first mother sanction utilisation, and an evaluation of expenditure progress recorded so far.

Telangana: Farmer ID Model Praised, Spending Lag Flagged

Chouhan commended Telangana's new model for Farmer ID issuance and fertiliser distribution, describing it as a step toward more transparent and effective service delivery to farmers. He congratulated Tummala Nageswara Rao for the initiative.

However, Chouhan also flagged that Telangana's expenditure under the Oilseeds and Pulses Missions is behind schedule. He stressed the need for regular monitoring of spending and implementation progress under these missions to avoid further slippage.

Rajasthan: Kisan Credit Card Access Under Scrutiny

For Rajasthan, Chouhan called for focused attention on the Kisan Credit Card situation, urging the state to ensure farmers receive timely and hassle-free access to credit support. No specific targets or deadlines were publicly stated, but the directive signals Centre-level concern about credit penetration in the state's farm sector.

Broader Context and What the Releases Target

Chouhan stated that the financial releases are aimed at ensuring timely and effective implementation of agricultural schemes, and that the Centre is working in close coordination with states under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen resources, technical assistance, and monitoring in the interest of farmers.

The allocations are expected to fund activities spanning agricultural infrastructure development, input support, and productivity enhancement. This comes amid a broader push by the Centre to link fund releases to verified expenditure progress — a mechanism designed to reduce fund parking at the state level. With the kharif season underway, timely disbursement is particularly critical for states with large agrarian populations such as Rajasthan and Telangana.