The farmers of Odisha just received a significant financial shot in the arm. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday, October 31, 2026, announced that more than 35 lakh farmers across the state have received over ₹700 crore under the 24th instalment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi scheme — calling farmer prosperity the very foundation of a 'Viksit Bharat.'

Posting in both Odia and English, CM Majhi declared: 'ଅନ୍ନଦାତାଙ୍କ ସମୃଦ୍ଧି ହିଁ ସମୃଦ୍ଧ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ଓ ବିକଶିତ ଭାରତର ମୂଳ ଆଧାର' — 'The prosperity of our Annadatas is the foundation of a prosperous Odisha and a Viksit Bharat.' His message framed the disbursement not merely as a cash transfer, but as a political and moral commitment: dignity, economic self-reliance, and a brighter future for every farmer.

₹18,690 Crore Released Nationally, Odisha Claims Its Share

The scale of this round is striking. Nationally, the 24th PM-KISAN instalment channelled more than ₹18,690 crore to over 9.34 crore farmers across the country in a single direct-benefit transfer. Odisha's ₹700 crore slice of that represents a substantial flow of resources into one of India's most agrarian states.

PM-KISAN, launched in February 2019 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, provides eligible landholding farmers ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each — credited directly to their bank accounts with no intermediary. Seven years in, the scheme has become the flagship instrument of the NDA's farmer-welfare agenda.

Odisha's Political Shift and the New Ownership of Central Schemes

There is a pointed political subplot here. Odisha was governed for over two decades by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which at times maintained an arm's-length posture toward certain central welfare programmes. The BJP's 2024 assembly election victory — which brought Majhi to power as the state's first-ever BJP Chief Minister — fundamentally changed that calculus.

State BJP governments across India have made a consistent pattern of visibly championing central scheme disbursals, turning each instalment announcement into a moment of political alignment between Bhubaneswar and New Delhi. For Majhi, highlighting PM-KISAN benefits to 35 lakh Odia farmers serves a dual purpose: demonstrating governance delivery and reinforcing the narrative that a BJP-led Odisha is now plugged directly into the national welfare pipeline.

What This Means for Odisha's Farming Households

Odisha carries a large agrarian backbone — millions of small and marginal farmers who remain vulnerable to rainfall variability and price shocks. A direct cash infusion of ₹2,000 per household, while modest, provides a predictable, unconditional cushion ahead of the rabi season. The Chief Minister's emphasis on 'ଆର୍ଥିକ ସ୍ୱାବଲମ୍ବନ' — economic self-reliance — reflects the scheme's core philosophy: put money in the farmer's hand, and trust them to deploy it where it matters most.

With Odisha's agriculture budget and next PM-KISAN disbursement cycle both on the horizon, the question is whether state-level complementary schemes will amplify this central transfer — or whether the ₹2,000 instalment will continue to carry the weight alone.