Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday transfer over ₹18,880 crore directly into the bank accounts of more than 9.44 crore farmers nationwide as the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The disbursement will take place at a formal function in Tarakeswar, Hooghly district, West Bengal, organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture with support from the Government of West Bengal, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

Scale of the 23rd Instalment

Among the 9.44 crore beneficiaries, over 2.18 crore are women farmers. With this release, the total cumulative disbursement under PM-KISAN since its inception on 24 February 2019 will surpass ₹4.46 lakh crore. West Bengal alone will receive over ₹907.21 crore, benefiting more than 45.35 lakh farmers in the state, pushing the state's cumulative total beyond ₹15,055 crore.

More than 1 crore farmers are expected to join the main event via video conferencing, connecting through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ICAR Institutes, universities, Farmer Producer Organisations, Agriculture Mandis, PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and village-level functions. The day will be observed as 'PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas', with special awareness events at state, district, block, and gram panchayat levels.

Crop Insurance Extended to West Bengal

Alongside the instalment release, Modi will formally launch the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) in West Bengal, extending what officials describe as the world's largest crop insurance scheme to the state's farmers. For 2026–27, the initiative aims to cover nearly 1.10 crore farmers across approximately 30 lakh hectares, protecting crops with an estimated insured value of ₹28,140 crore. The central and state governments will jointly provide premium subsidies of approximately ₹777 crore to keep the cost burden on farmers low.

Digital Agriculture and AgriStack Launch

As part of the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Prime Minister will launch AgriStack in West Bengal — a unified digital platform designed to streamline verified agricultural services including fertiliser distribution, Kisan Credit Cards, Direct Benefit Transfers, and procurement under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. The platform is intended to strengthen digital governance in agriculture and improve delivery of farmer-facing services.

Natural Farming and PMDDKY Rollout

Modi will also launch the National Mission on Natural Farming in West Bengal, aimed at promoting sustainable, chemical-free agriculture rooted in traditional Indian practices. Under the approved Annual Action Plan for 2026–27, the state will establish 346 natural farming clusters covering 17,300 hectares, benefiting 43,250 farmers, while setting up Bio-Input Resource Centres and mobilising Krishi Sakhis.

In a further push for integrated rural development, the Prime Minister will initiate the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) in West Bengal, covering the districts of Purulia, Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Jhargram. The scheme focuses on improving agricultural productivity, crop diversification, post-harvest infrastructure, irrigation, and access to institutional credit, converging multiple central and state schemes for holistic rural development.

Saturday's event in Hooghly marks one of the most comprehensive single-day rollouts of central agricultural schemes in West Bengal, with the state set to receive a significant share of both financial transfers and new programme launches ahead of the kharif season.