Hindi belt states main target of PM-KISAN scheme

NDA’s budget announcement of Rs 6,000 cash transfer programme will mainly benefit marginal and small farmers in Hindi-belt states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Haryana — all of which are electorally key for BJP. A ranking of states by proportion of agricultural households shows the scheme will be somewhat important in Bihar and West Bengal. It may not have much of a coverage in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where the saffron presence anyway is negligible. Here’s a look...

Cultivation: All activities relating to production of crops and related ancillary activities. Growing of trees, plants or crops as plantation or orchards (such as rubber, cashew, coconut, pepper, coffee, tea, etc) were not considered as cultivation activities for the purpose of this survey.