CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, May 11: The current strength of farmers in Jharkhand is around 58 lakh, according to the Jharkhand State Kisan Sabha. However, out of these, only 2,48,212 farmers have enrolled themselves for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana.
According to some NGOs, 70 to 80 percent of the state’s tribal population lives in the woods and works in agriculture. According to research, the Forest Rights Act qualifies 77 lakh voters in Jharkhand for a forest lease. The PM scheme has failed to reach the majority of farmers and its voters.
Meanwhile, the officials of the Department of Agriculture remained mute when asked about the PM scheme for farmers and have refused to give any statement regarding it.
According to government statistics, 76 percent of Jharkhand’s three-and-a-half crore inhabitants live in villages, with 66 percent working in agriculture.
It is a government programme aimed at protecting small and marginal farmers’ (SMF) old age and providing social security. All Small and Marginal Farmers with cultivable landholdings of up to 2 hectares who are between the ages of 18 and 40 and whose names appear in the land registries of States/UTs as of August 1, 2019, are eligible for the Scheme.
Under this scheme, farmers receive a minimum assured income of Rs 3000 per month after reaching the age of 60, and if the farmer dies, his or her spouse will be entitled to 50% of the pension as a family pension. Only the spouse is eligible for the family pension.
