More than 12,851 eligible farmers across the Andaman & Nicobar Islands will receive direct financial assistance under the 21st installment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The Prime Minister announced the nationwide release of the installment, amounting to ₹18,000 crore, during an event in Coimbatore, benefitting over nine crore farmers across India.
For the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the Agriculture Department confirmed that ₹2.617 crore will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. The PM-KISAN scheme, launched in 2019, provides landholding farmers with an annual financial benefit of ₹6,000, disbursed in three equal installments. The scheme is designed to support farmers with essential agricultural and household needs, reducing financial burdens during crop cycles.
With the release of the 21st installment, the Department has urged all beneficiaries who have not yet completed mandatory formalities, particularly eKYC, Aadhaar-bank seeding, and land record seeding- to complete these processes immediately. The Government of India has made these steps compulsory to ensure transparency, prevent fraudulent claims, and streamline payments.
Officials have reiterated that several eligible farmers in the Islands are yet to register under the scheme, and they have encouraged them to enroll soon to avoid missing future installments. The Zonal Agriculture Offices and field extension units are available to support beneficiaries with queries regarding new registrations, corrections, land seeding, or Aadhaar-bank linking.
The Department expects that improved compliance with verification norms will help ensure 100 percent coverage of eligible farmers in the coming cycles. The emphasis on eKYC completion follows nationwide delays faced by farmers due to discrepancies in documentation or Aadhaar mismatch issues. The Agriculture Department has asked farmers to proactively update their records to ensure uninterrupted access to benefits.
The latest installment comes at a time when rising input costs and erratic weather patterns are influencing agriculture in the Islands. Officials note that even modest financial support under PM-KISAN can help farmers manage expenses such as seeds, fertilizers, transportation and small-scale investments in their farms.
