India Eyes Doubling Cash Handout For Women Farmers Ahead Of Vote

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is wooing millions of women farmers by doubling an annual payment amid an upcoming election, as reported by Reuters.

There are more than 260 million farmers in India, and along with their families, they are a massive voting bloc in the country of 1.4 billion people. I Photo: Yann Forget Wikimedia Commons

There are more than 260 million farmers in India, and along with their families, they are a massive voting bloc in the country of 1.4 billion people.

Women account for 60% of total farmers, but less than 13% of them own the land they sow, according to government data.

Modi's government is considering doubling the annual payout to landowning female farmers to 12,000 rupees ($144), three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Under the "Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi" program, the government transfers 6,000 rupees annually to both men and women farmers. It has so far disbursed more than 2.81 trillion rupees to more than 110 million farmers in 15 installments until last November, according to government estimates.

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