The scheme is meant to fast track development in agriculture and allied sectors in 100 districts across the country, with at least one district selected from each state.
The union cabinet chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” for a period of six years, beginning with 2025-26 to cover 100 districts. The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme and first of its kind focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.
The scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.
The scheme is in pursuance of the budget announcement for 2025-26 to develop 100 districts under “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana”. The scheme will be implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, other state schemes and local partnerships with the private sector.
According to the PIB press release on the subject, 100 districts will be identified for the scheme. The selection of the districts will be based on three key indicators of low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement. The number of districts in each state and union territory covered by the scheme will be based on the share of net cropped area and operational holdings. A minimum of one district will be selected from each state.
According to the cabinet decision, committees will be formed at the district, state and national level for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of the scheme. A district agriculture and allied activities plan will be finalised by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti, which will also have progressive farmers as members. The District Plans will be aligned to the national goals of crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors as well as expansion of natural and organic farming. Progress of the scheme in each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be monitored on 117 key performance indicators through a dashboard on monthly basis. NITI will also review and guide the district plans. Besides central nodal officers appointed for each district will also review the scheme on a regular basis.
As the targeted outcomes in these 100 districts will improve, the overall average against key performance indicators will rise for the country. The press release says that the scheme will result in higher productivity, value addition in agriculture and allied sector, local livelihood creation and hence increase domestic production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat). As the indicators of these 100 districts improve, the national indicators will automatically show an upward trajectory, the press release claimed.
