The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 22, 186 crore subsidies to Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers for the year 2020-21. Under this Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS), the Cabinet also approved the inclusion of a complex fertilizer namely Ammonium Phosphate (NP 14:28:0:0), said Government in a statement.
“The approved rates of NBS are under - N : Rs 18.789 per kg, P : Rs.14.888/kg, K: Rs 10.116/kg and S : Rs 2.374/kg,” said the statement, adding that the subsidy on the P&K will be provided on the subsidy rates approved by the CCEA to the fertiliser companies.
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved extension of relaxation of mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding of data in respect of beneficiaries of the States of Assam and Meghalaya and UTs of J&K and Ladakh for one year with effect from April 1 under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme.
“The Pradhan MantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 24 February, 2019. The Scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6,000/- per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2,000/- each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The Scheme is effective from 1st December, 2018.
From 1st December, 2019, release of benefits is done only through Aadhaar seeded data of beneficiaries uploaded by the State / UT Governments on the PM-KISAN portal, except in case of the States of Assam and Meghalaya and the UTs of J&K and Ladakh, which have been given exemption from this requirement till 31st March, 2020, as Aadhaar penetration there has been miniscule,” said the statement.