Chandigarh, June 10 (IANS): Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar hailed the order for the release of the 17th installment of the PM Kisan Nidhi signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

“Benefitting lakhs of farmers in Punjab, Prime Minister Modi’s commitment and resolve towards welfare of farmers was manifested in his first decision in the third term authorising the release of the installment of the PM Kisan Nidhi, benefiting over 11 crore farmer families,” Sunil Jakhar said.

While expressing gratitude, Jakhar said PM Modi chose farmers' issues over and above everything by first sanctioning the release of nearly Rs 20,000 crore to be distributed among farmer families.

A total of Rs 3 lakh crore has been distributed to farmers till date.

Recently, as part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra across 2.60 lakh Gram Panchayats in India, over 90 lakh eligible farmers were added as beneficiaries to the scheme.

“Several lakhs of farmers in Punjab will benefit from this decision. The money will be transferred in bank accounts of beneficiary farmers which will augment their income,” Jakhar said in a statement.

However, Jakhar lamented the Punjab government’s alleged lackadaisical attitude coming in the way of benefits reaching farmers.

He claimed that about 14 lakh farmers may be deprived of the benefits of the scheme since the state has not lived up to its assurances of doorstep delivery for the mandatory KYC (know your customer) of farmers’ accounts.