Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil on Saturday, 20 June 2026 virtually attended a national programme in Surat, Gujarat, at which Prime Minister Narendra Modi released over Rs 18,880 crore to more than 9.44 crore farmer families across India under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Context

Paatil, a senior BJP leader and former Gujarat state president, shared his account of the event on X, writing in Gujarati: 'સશક્ત અન્નદાતા… સમૃદ્ધ ભારત' ('Empowered food-provider… Prosperous India'). He described the occasion as one where the Prime Minister, through his own hands, facilitated the direct deposit of funds into the bank accounts of crores of farmer families in a single national event.

For Gujarat specifically, the minister noted that over 51.28 lakh farmer families received approximately Rs 1,025 crore directly into their bank accounts as part of this disbursement, calling it 'an important step towards making farmers economically more empowered and self-reliant.'

Policy Backdrop

PM-KISAN was launched in February 2019 as a central sector scheme providing an annual income support of Rs 6,000 per landholding farmer family, paid in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each via DBT. The scheme was subsequently extended to cover all landholding farmer families, moving beyond its initial focus on small and marginal holdings.

The integration of Aadhaar authentication and digitised land records with the DBT pipeline — carried out from 2019 onward — was designed to minimise leakages and ensure funds reach verified beneficiaries without intermediaries. PM-KISAN forms a central pillar of the broader post-2014 expansion of direct cash transfers across rural welfare programmes.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are small and marginal farmer families who depend on the periodic infusion to meet input costs, particularly ahead of and during the kharif sowing season. At the national level, the release of over Rs 18,880 crore in a single tranche represents one of the largest single-day agricultural income-support transfers under the scheme.

Gujarat's share of over Rs 1,025 crore reaching 51.28 lakh families underscores the state's significant beneficiary base. Paatil concluded his post by stating: 'An empowered farmer is the strong foundation of a Developed India,' reflecting the government's framing of agricultural welfare as central to its Viksit Bharat development narrative.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the next quarterly PM-KISAN instalment and whether beneficiary numbers are revised in the 2026-27 Union Budget cycle. The scheme's performance metrics — including coverage, exclusion errors, and total outlay — are expected to feature in parliamentary discussions during the upcoming monsoon session.

The Surat event also signals continued use of large-scale public disbursal programmes as visible governance moments, with ministers across states amplifying the national rollout through regional outreach.