It was the government’s most ambitious announcement in the interim budget, a Rs 75,000 crore scheme promising direct cash transfer to an estimated 12 crore small and marginal farmers across India. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and with the elections around the corner, UP and the eastern region in particular are crucial for all parties. Siraj Hussain, the former agricultural secretary discussed the scheme further.