Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to qualify for the release of the second installment under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) after achieving the prescribed fund utilisation benchmark, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced during a virtual review meeting on Monday.
The meeting reviewed the utilisation of funds released under RKVY and assessed Maharashtra’s eligibility for the Second Mother Sanction. It was attended by Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane, senior officials of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, and officers of the Maharashtra government.
During the review, Chouhan said the Centre had earlier released ₹335 crore as the first installment under RKVY to Maharashtra. The state has utilised approximately ₹260 crore, exceeding the prescribed 75 per cent utilisation benchmark, making it eligible for the second installment. He said the process of releasing the next ₹335 crore has been initiated.
Congratulating the Maharashtra government, the Union Minister said the state had become the first in the country to qualify for the second installment by achieving more than 75 per cent utilisation of RKVY funds within the stipulated time. He said the achievement reflected the state’s commitment to the effective implementation of agricultural development programmes.
Chouhan stressed that timely expenditure should be accompanied by continuous monitoring to ensure that public funds are utilised strictly for their intended purpose. He also praised Maharashtra’s progress in generating Farmer IDs and recalled the state’s swift financial assistance to farmers affected by floods, noting that compensation of around ₹14,000 crore had been transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts within five days.
Reviewing various components of the scheme, the Minister expressed satisfaction with Maharashtra’s progress under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and appreciated the state’s implementation efforts. However, he urged officials to accelerate spending under Digital Agriculture, Agriculture Extension, the National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Seeds, Oilseeds and Agroforestry components. He also advised the state to clear pending liabilities under the Seeds component to improve fund utilisation.
The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Chouhan emphasised the importance of accurate disclosure of information by farmers while applying for crop insurance. He clarified that both Kisan Credit Card (KCC) holders and non-KCC farmers are eligible for crop insurance benefits, but said applicants should not conceal their KCC status by applying through another account.
The proposed declaration on the insurance portal, he said, is intended to ensure transparency and the correctness of information rather than restrict benefits to eligible farmers.
The Union Minister also highlighted that the Government of India provides substantial financial support under the Kisan Credit Card scheme through interest subvention and incentives for prompt repayment, making accurate disclosure essential for the transparent and efficient use of public funds.
Expressing confidence in Maharashtra’s continued performance, Chouhan said the state would further improve implementation across the remaining components of RKVY and continue contributing to the growth of the agriculture sector.
