New Delhi: In a significant move to bolster the agriculture and allied sectors, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” (PM-DDKY). This new scheme, with an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore, will run for a period of six years, commencing from the financial year 2025-26, and is set to cover 100 districts across the country.
Inspired by NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme, PM-DDKY is the first of its kind to focus exclusively on agricultural development. It aims to address key challenges faced by farmers in identified regions.
Core Objectives:
The scheme’s primary goals are to:
- Enhance agricultural productivity.
- Increase the adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices.
- Augment post-harvest storage facilities at the panchayat and block levels.
- Improve irrigation infrastructure.
- Facilitate the availability of both long-term and short-term credit to farmers.
District Selection and Implementation:
The 100 districts for the scheme will be meticulously identified based on three crucial indicators: low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement. To ensure equitable development, a minimum of one district will be selected from each state/UT, with the remaining districts allocated based on the share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings.
The implementation of PM-DDKY will be a collaborative effort, leveraging the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Central Departments, complemented by State schemes and local partnerships with the private sector. This multi-pronged approach is expected to streamline resources and maximize impact.
Structured Planning and Robust Monitoring:
To ensure effective planning, implementation, and monitoring, committees will be established at the District, State, and National levels. A crucial element of this framework will be the “District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti,” which will be responsible for finalizing the District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan. Notably, these committees will include “progressive farmers” as members, ensuring that ground-level realities and farmer perspectives are incorporated into the planning process.
District plans will be aligned with broader national objectives such as crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors, and the expansion of natural and organic farming.
The progress of the scheme in each “Dhan-Dhaanya district” will be rigorously monitored on a monthly basis through a digital dashboard tracking 117 key Performance Indicators (KPIs). NITI Aayog will provide regular reviews and guidance for the district plans, while Central Nodal Officers appointed for each district will also conduct regular on-ground reviews.
Expected Impact:
The government anticipates that the targeted outcomes in these 100 districts will significantly improve, leading to an overall rise in national averages against key agricultural performance indicators. The scheme is projected to benefit approximately 1.7 crore farmers directly.
Ultimately, PM-DDKY is expected to result in higher agricultural productivity, increased value addition in the agriculture and allied sectors, creation of local livelihoods, and a boost in domestic production, thereby contributing to the vision of an “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) in agriculture.