NEW DELHI: Nearly one-fourth of beneficiaries under the PM Kisan scheme, launched last year and which was utilised during the lockdown to offer relief to agriculturists, are women, a surprising revelation that indicates that they are also land-holders as is required to receive benefits of the direct transfers from the central government. Government data on the Centre’s flagship scheme, as per an RTI reply, show that northeastern states and Kerala take the lead in bridging the gender gap in farm sector.
Punjab, a pre-eminently agricultural state, figures at the bottom where women beneficiaries account for a mere 61 out of 23.3 lakh beneficiaries in the state. Similarly among all UTs, Chandigarh accounts for the smallest number of women beneficiaries at 52 of 458. Nationwide figures show that 2.4 crore (24.2%) are women beneficiaries while 7.7 crore (75.7%) are men. The PM-Kisan scheme was meant for only marginal and small farmers with landholdings up to 2 hectares. Its ambit was, however, expanded to all farmers.
The percentage of women beneficiaries is good news for the Modi government and reflects the support this section offered to the JD(U)-BJP in the Bihar elections. In seven states and UTs, including Mizoram, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Tamil Nadu, women account for between 30 to 40% of total beneficiaries — more than the national average.