Bhubaneswar, March 13 (NationPress) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi celebrated farmers as the foundation of society and the essential force driving Odisha’s economic growth, underlining their crucial contribution to the state’s advancement.

During the state-level event for the distribution of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi on the occasion of PM Kisan Utsav Diwas, Majhi remarked, “Farmers are the foundation of our society and the real engines of our economy. Both the Central and State Governments are tirelessly working to actualize the slogan ‘Jai Kisan’. The progress of farmers is directly linked to the prosperity of our nation and state.”

On the same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the release of the 22nd instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in Guwahati, Assam. Approximately Rs 19,000 crore was disbursed to around 9.32 crore farmers nationwide.

Majhi highlighted that the PM-Kisan initiative assists farmers in acquiring seeds, fertilizers, and other essential agricultural resources. He noted that even though the annual support of Rs 6,000, distributed in three instalments, may seem modest, it represents a significant acknowledgment of the efforts of small-scale farmers.

The Chief Minister announced that over 34.24 lakh eligible farmers in Odisha received financial support of Rs 2,000 each, totaling Rs 684 crore, as part of the 22nd instalment launched by PM Modi.

He encouraged farmers to leverage the benefits of the PM Kisan scheme by fulfilling all necessary requirements, including e-KYC, land record verification, Aadhaar-bank account linkage, and ensuring name corrections according to Aadhaar.

Majhi also mentioned that in addition to PM-Kisan, the State Government is executing the CM Kisan scheme, which provides eligible farmers with Rs 4,000 in two instalments.

Furthermore, he indicated that more than 6 lakh new beneficiaries have been incorporated into this program. Under this scheme, over 51.54 lakh beneficiaries, including 3,236 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) farmers and 31,695 urban farmers, have received financial assistance totaling over Rs 2,991 crore.

He also mentioned that beneficiaries' children are awarded scholarships under the Krushi Vidya Nidhi scheme to pursue professional and technical education. In the academic year 2024–25, 13,923 students received scholarships amounting to Rs 53.67 crore, which is five times higher than the previous year. So far, for the 2025–26 academic year, 68,915 students have applied for scholarships under this initiative, with Rs 290 crore earmarked for assistance, setting a record amount.

“Our government, in collaboration with the Central Government, is dedicated to doubling farmers’ incomes,” the CM stated. He urged farmers to concentrate on crop diversification and stay informed about climate change, unpredictable weather, water scarcity, and soil deterioration.