Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal joined the PM-KISAN Samman Utsav via video conference from KVK Kamrup, Guwahati, on Saturday, 20 June 2026, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, transferring over ₹18,885 crore directly to more than 9.44 crore farmers across the country.

Context

Sonowal, who also serves as a senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Assam, highlighted that Assam alone received over ₹371 crore credited directly into the bank accounts of more than 18.56 lakh farmers in this instalment. He described the disbursement as a demonstration of 'due dignity and financial security' for farmers, whom he referred to by the honorific Annadatas (providers of food). The event, held simultaneously across the country, saw the minister participate from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kamrup in Guwahati.

Policy Backdrop

The PM-KISAN scheme was launched in February 2019 as a central sector initiative providing an annual direct benefit transfer of ₹6,000 — disbursed in three equal instalments — to eligible landholding farmer families. The scheme relies on Aadhaar linkage and land record verification to build and update its beneficiary database, and successive instalments have followed a broadly quarterly or four-monthly rhythm tied to the agricultural calendar. The 23rd instalment represents a continuation of this established cycle of direct income support to rural households.

The broader policy architecture of which PM-KISAN is a part positions direct benefit transfers as the government's primary instrument for rural welfare, bypassing intermediaries and crediting funds straight to farmer bank accounts. This approach has been a recurring feature of the government's agricultural policy since 2019, with periodic reviews of eligibility norms undertaken ahead of Union Budget presentations.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are small and marginal farmers, who constitute the bulk of India's agricultural workforce. With over 9.44 crore farmers receiving funds in the current instalment, the scheme remains one of the largest direct benefit transfer programmes in the country by beneficiary count. In Assam, the 18.56 lakh beneficiaries receiving a collective ₹371 crore represent a significant share of the state's farming community, which is dominated by small landholdings in the Brahmaputra valley and hill districts.

For a state like Assam, where agriculture supports a large portion of the rural population, the timely transfer of funds ahead of the kharif sowing season carries practical significance for input purchases and household expenditure planning. Sonowal's participation from KVK Kamrup — an agricultural extension institution — also underlines the government's effort to use such events to reinforce outreach at the grassroots level.

What's Next

The release of the 23rd instalment sets the clock for the next disbursement cycle, with the government expected to maintain its established release schedule for subsequent PM-KISAN instalments. Any revision to the per-beneficiary annual amount of ₹6,000 or changes to eligibility norms would require a cabinet or budget-level decision and has not been announced as of this disbursement. Observers will watch upcoming Union Budget proposals and agricultural policy announcements for signals on whether the scheme's coverage or quantum of support will be expanded as part of the government's Viksit Bharat development framework.