Koppal (Karnataka): The reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on bio-pesticides and micronutrients will bring direct benefits to our farmers and empower them, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

Addressing the audience after inaugurating the farmers’ training-cum-common facility centre for agro-processing at Methagal village in Koppal district here, the Finance Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi guided us to make GST simpler and more beneficial for the people. “Accordingly, we implemented GST from the very first day of Navratri. GST rates on several items have been reduced -- including agricultural products such as tractors, solar-powered equipment, and other machinery used by our ‘annadatas’,” she told the gathering. FM Sitharaman further said that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, Rs6,000 per year is directly transferred into the bank accounts of the farmers via direct benefit transfer (DBT).

“In Karnataka, over 43 lakh farmers benefit under the PM-KISAN scheme,” she said. The Finance Minister further stated that under the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, 100 districts across the country have been included, and Koppal district is one among them.