PM Modi interacts with Odisha farmer, releases Rs 18,000 Cr for PM-Kisan scheme

An Odisha cultivator who interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked him for his farmer welfare schemes amidst the nationwide agitation demanding the withdrawal of the three farm laws, and narrated how he benefitted from PM-Kisan yojna.

Naveen Thakur, a farmer from Odisha's poverty-stricken Nuapada district, got the opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister through video conferencing during a farmers outreach programme.

The Prime Minister began the interaction greeting Thakur by saying, "Jai Jagannath, Naveen ji! Tell me, how has the PM- Kisan scheme benefitted you?"

On his part, Thakur appreciated the scheme and informed: "I have received Rs 10,000 in five instalments through PM- Kisan and utilised it to buy fertiliser and necessary things for farming."

Replying to the Prime Minister's question on the Kisan Credit Card, Thakur said, "I received a kisan credit card on March 12, 2019. I have availed a bank loan of Rs 27,000 at the rate of 4 percent interest.

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"Earlier, we used to take loans at 20 percent interest from Sahukars, now we are able to take loans at a nominal interest of four percent from the banks due to the kisan credit card."

The Odisha farmer told PM Modi that the loan amount availed through the kisan credit card is being utilised in purchasing, fertiliser, seeds, pesticide, and other requirements for cultivation.

He also thanked PM Modi for the PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme and Kisan Credit Card.

"The twin schemes have completely changed my life," he said.

The Prime Minister interacted with farmers virtually after releasing over Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmer families under the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' (PM- KISAN).

PM Modi released the instalment of Rs 2,000 to every farmer on the birth anniversary of the former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which is celebrated every year as "Good Governance Day" by the ruling party.