The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare today held a comprehensive review meeting with State Agriculture Ministers to assess the progress of key central agricultural schemes and the status of budget utilisation across states. The discussions focused primarily on the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Krishonnati Yojana, along with other major centrally sponsored agricultural programmes.
Addressing the meeting, the Union Minister underlined that minor administrative and procedural delays often lead to underutilisation of allocated funds, adversely affecting the timely and effective implementation of schemes. He stressed that states must ensure full utilisation of sanctioned budgets well before the end of the financial year, particularly by March, to avoid disruptions in programme execution.
The Minister cautioned that delays in expenditure ultimately disadvantage states themselves, as unutilised funds can impede the release of subsequent instalments from the Centre. He urged state governments to adopt advance planning and robust monitoring mechanisms so that funds are deployed efficiently and the intended benefits reach farmers without delay.
Special emphasis was laid on the PM Kisan scheme, with the Minister calling for faster verification of eligible beneficiaries to ensure timely income support to farmers. He also highlighted the need to expand coverage under the crop insurance scheme and to ensure prompt settlement of insurance claims, thereby strengthening farmers’ confidence in risk mitigation measures.
The meeting also reviewed issues related to the availability and balanced use of seeds and fertilisers. The Minister stressed the importance of close coordination between the Centre and states to maintain adequate supplies, promote judicious input use and support sustainable agricultural practices.
State Agriculture Ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Mizoram participated in the meeting and shared their perspectives on implementation challenges and best practices. Senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, including the Agriculture Secretary, were also present.
Concluding the review, the Union Minister reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to strengthening the agricultural sector and assured states of continued support to safeguard farmers’ interests, enhance productivity and ensure effective delivery of agricultural schemes across the country.
