Centre earmarks €28,100 cr for PM-AASHA restructuring

Plans to consolidate marquee schemes to safeguard the interests of farmers and consumers

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Ahead of the general elections, the government is planning to consolidate marquee schemes to safeguard the interests of farmers and consumers, under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), with an allocation of ₹28,107 crore till 2025-26, three officials aware of the matter said.

The plan is to merge the Union Consumer Affairs Department's Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) with the Agriculture Ministry's Price Support Scheme (PSS), and bring the merged scheme under the PM-AASHA, along with the market intervention scheme (MIS).

The rationale for the merger is to achieve efficiency by removing duplication and get better coverage of farm commodities to ensure prices do not fluctuate "There is a need for major institutional corrections to protect interests of consumers and farmers," one of the officials said.