New Delhi: Punjab has seen the sharpest fall in the country in the number of farmers getting benefits under the PM-Kisan scheme. In the last five years, the number of beneficiaries has dropped by almost 49 percent.
Between December 2019 and March 2020, around 23.01 lakh farmers in Punjab got benefits worth Rs 466.47 crore. But by April to July 2025, the number had fallen to just 11.34 lakh farmers, who received Rs 387.76 crore.
Recently, in Parliament, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur said that for 2025-26, the government has set aside Rs 63,500 crore for PM-Kisan. He added that the 20th instalment of the scheme, released on August 2, 2025, helped 9.71 crore farmers across India with Rs 20,500 crore. In Punjab, 11.34 lakh farmers got Rs 387.76 crore from this instalment.
The Centre said that new digital checks like Aadhaar, land records, and e-KYC were introduced to make sure benefits only reach genuine farmers and to stop misuse. Since 2019, the government has given out more than Rs 3.90 lakh crore in 20 instalments.
Punjab’s Timeline in PM-Kisan
1st instalment (Dec 2018–Mar 2019): 11.81 lakh farmers, Rs 236.39 crore
2nd instalment (Apr–Jul 2019): 14.11 lakh farmers, Rs 312.85 crore
3rd instalment: 22.21 lakh farmers, Rs 483.42 crore
4th instalment (Dec 2019–Mar 2020): Highest ever – 23.01 lakh farmers, Rs 466.47 crore
5th instalment (Apr–Jul 2020): Dropped to 19.01 lakh farmers, Rs 417.89 crore
11th instalment (Apr–Jul 2022): 16.97 lakh farmers, Rs 340.95 crore
12th instalment (Aug–Nov 2022): Sharpest fall – only 2.07 lakh farmers, Rs 41.87 crore
19th instalment (Dec 2024–Mar 2025): 10.58 lakh farmers, Rs 373.04 crore
20th instalment (Apr–Jul 2025): 11.34 lakh farmers, Rs 387.76 crore
Why Did the Numbers Fall?
The government explained that rules like land record linking, Aadhaar-based payment, and e-KYC became compulsory after 2022. Many farmers did not complete these steps, so their payments were temporarily stopped. Once they update their records, they will get pending payments too.
The ministry said the changes are meant to bring transparency, avoid fake beneficiaries, and ensure money reaches the right people.