Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma participated virtually from Sumerpur on Saturday, 20 June 2026, in a national event hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata for the transfer of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The event marked the disbursal of more than ₹18,880 crore to over 9.44 crore farmer families across the country.

Context

Sharma shared his participation on X, writing that he joined the programme 'aaj Sumerpur se virtual sahbhagita ki' (today participated virtually from Sumerpur) at the event convened by Prime Minister Modi for the transfer of the 23rd instalment of PM-KISAN. He noted that funds amounting to more than ₹18,880 crore were transferred directly to the bank accounts of more than 9.44 crore farmer families across the nation. The Chief Minister's participation from Pali district's Sumerpur town underscored the state government's engagement with the central scheme's rollout.

Policy Backdrop

PM-KISAN, launched on 24 February 2019, is a central sector scheme that provides an annual income support of ₹6,000 to landholding farmer families, disbursed in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each through Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The scheme is one of the central government's flagship agricultural welfare programmes, designed to supplement the financial needs of farmers for procurement of inputs and allied activities. Each instalment release is typically accompanied by a national event attended or addressed by the Prime Minister, with state-level participation by chief ministers and senior officials.

The 23rd instalment continues a pattern of regular, timely transfers that have characterised the scheme since its inception. Rajasthan, with its large agrarian population, has consistently been among the key beneficiary states in these national rollouts.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are landholding agricultural families across India, with the funds reaching accounts directly, reducing leakage associated with earlier subsidy mechanisms. For Rajasthan's farming community, the instalment provides timely liquidity ahead of or during the cropping season, supporting input purchases such as seeds, fertilisers, and irrigation costs. The state government's visible participation in such events also signals political alignment with the scheme's objectives and amplifies awareness at the grassroots level.

The DBT mechanism ensures transfers are traceable and linked to verified Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts, a structural feature that has been central to the scheme's scaling to tens of crore beneficiaries over successive instalments.

What's Next

With the 23rd instalment now disbursed, attention will turn to the schedule for the 24th instalment and any revisions to the scheme's eligibility criteria or annual outlay in forthcoming central budget discussions. In Rajasthan, the state assembly and district-level administration are expected to conduct implementation reviews to ensure maximum farmer coverage and resolution of pending Aadhaar-seeding or land-record verification issues that may have excluded eligible beneficiaries from the current transfer.