KUSUM scheme to boost ryots' income

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said her government is committed to double farmers' income by 2022. To increase the income of the farmers around barren lands, she said the farmers can now make a living by installing solar pumps on the lands.

"The government now intends to scale up the scheme to enable 'Annadaata' (food provider) to become 'Urja-daata' (energy provider). It is proposed to expand 'PM KUSUM scheme' to 20 lakh farmers to set up solar pumps.

Huge thrust has been given in the budget on solar power generation and generating additional income for farmers," she added.

It is aimed at boosting farmers' income by allowing them to sell additional power to the grid through solar plants set up on their barren lands.

In February last, the Modi cabinet had approved the solar power scheme Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme with a central aid of Rs 34,422 crore to provide financial and water security to farmers through harnessing solar energy capacities of 25.75 gigawatt (GW) by 2022.

While presenting the Union Budget 2020, Sitharaman said the government has a sharp focus on the agri sector and 6.11 crore farmers insured under 'Farmers Fasal Bima Yojana' have benefited from the government scheme.

She also mentioned that the government will provide the viability gap funding for setting up warehouses as the country has 162 MT capacity for warehouses, cold storages, etc. Indian railways will also set up a Kisan Rail for the transport of perishable goods, she added.

The Finance Minister highlighted the need to change existing regimes that promote excessive use of chemical fertilisers by revising incentives for the use of such fertilisers. Sitharaman has also proposed comprehensive measures for 100 water-stressed districts of India.