Team Goemkarponn
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Wednesday raised the issue of including tenant farmers from Goa under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme through a Special Mention in Parliament.
Tanavade said the flagship scheme of the Government of India has played a significant role in providing income support to farmers across the country and strengthening the agricultural sector.
Highlighting the situation in Goa, he pointed out that the state has around 52,000 cultivating farmers. However, due to the eligibility requirement of land ownership, only about 6,000 farmers are currently benefiting from the scheme.
Referring to provisions of the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964, Tanavade said tenant cultivators enjoy rights equivalent to landowners for cultivation and are treated as deemed owners under state law. These farmers are also eligible for several agricultural schemes implemented by the state government.
He further noted that more than 20,000 farmers in Goa are registered as tenant farmers, inheritors of tenants, or under similar categories.
Tanavade emphasised that extending PM-KISAN benefits to tenant farmers would significantly broaden the scheme’s reach and provide relief to a large number of small and marginal farmers, who constitute over 80 per cent of Goa’s agricultural community.
He added that the annual financial assistance of ₹6,000 under the scheme helps farmers meet input costs and cope with difficult situations.
Tanavade also highlighted that agriculture in Goa is important not only for food security but also for preserving the state’s natural landscape, which supports its tourism-driven economy. He urged the Government of India to consider including tenant farmers from Goa under the PM-KISAN scheme so that deserving cultivators can receive financial support.
